Help remembering, please - "width"

I remember something along the lines of research that was published that
because drivers are not looking for "small" objects like bikes, the bike
becomes invisible. As I recall it involved a study of basketball players and
a gorilla. Is this the one you are referring to?

Doug

"Denver C. Fox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of automobile
drivers of objects in the roadway, with some research indicating that

motorists

Quoted message said:

subconsciouly are looking for width as an identifier, meaning that

bicycles,

Quoted message said:

which are narrow and tall are at a disadvantage, no matter how many rear
flashers or bright clothes worn.

Does anyone remember this? I have searched the archives through the

Google

Quoted message said:

groups search engine, to no avail. Don't even know the proper search

terms -

Quoted message said:

have tried "width," "perception," etc., with no luck. I would like to

read the

Quoted message said:

research.

Thanks

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Found it!

Article:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000A011D-C17F-101E-B40D83414B7F0000&pageNumber=1

Discussion:
http://tinyurl.com/2x8vu

"Denver C. Fox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of automobile
drivers of objects in the roadway, with some research indicating that

motorists

Quoted message said:

subconsciouly are looking for width as an identifier, meaning that

bicycles,

Quoted message said:

which are narrow and tall are at a disadvantage, no matter how many rear
flashers or bright clothes worn.

Does anyone remember this? I have searched the archives through the

Google

Quoted message said:

groups search engine, to no avail. Don't even know the proper search

terms -

Quoted message said:

have tried "width," "perception," etc., with no luck. I would like to

read the

Quoted message said:

research.

Thanks

http://members.aol.com/foxcondorsrvtns
(Colorado rental condo)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox
(Family Web Page)

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.705 / Virus Database: 461 - Release Date: 6/12/2004

"Denver C. Fox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of

automobile

Quoted message said:

drivers of objects in the roadway,

Well, I don't have research of my own, but my theory is that if you
look like an object necessary to take account of as part of the
driving task, then you are taken account of. It's best, therefore,
to look like an-object-possibly-in-the-driver's-way.

In the cited article, basketball passes were relevant, gorillas were
irrelevant. Thus the watchers noticed basketballs, not gorillas,
even though gorillas are a lot wider than a basketball. If anything,
the article proves that width does not matter at all.

Folk wisdom among cyclists seems to agree with me. The usual rules
are that drivers will give you an amount of room equal to the room
that you give the curb, or else they say ride in the left (in the
USA)
tire track of the general traffic.

Worst, I think, is to get yourself defined as an object that can be
ignored. That's why I hate bike lanes.

Jeremy Parker

Quoted message said:

Found it!

Article:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000A011D-C17F-101E-B40D83414B7

F0000&pageNumber=1

Quoted message said:

Discussion:
http://tinyurl.com/2x8vu

Thanks - that is the one!

http://members.aol.com/foxcondorsrvtns
(Colorado rental condo)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox
(Family Web Page)