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:20040620093357.19468.00000287@mb-
m17.aol.com...

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

members.aol.comfoxcondorsrvtnsOpen ↗ (Colorado
rental condo)

members.aol.comdnvrfoxOpen ↗ (Family Web Page)

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

Found it!

Article: sciam.comarticle.cfmOpen ↗
101E-B40D83414B7F0000&pageNumber=1

Discussion: tinyurl.com2x8vuOpen ↗

"Denver C. Fox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040620093357.19468.00000287@mb-
m17.aol.com...

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

members.aol.comfoxcondorsrvtnsOpen ↗ (Colorado
rental condo)

members.aol.comdnvrfoxOpen ↗ (Family Web Page)

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-
virus system (grisoft.comgrisoft.comOpen ↗). 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:

sciam.comarticle.cfmOpen ↗
101E-B40D83414B7

F0000&pageNumber=1

Quoted message said:

Discussion: tinyurl.com2x8vuOpen ↗

Thanks - that is the one!

members.aol.comfoxcondorsrvtnsOpen ↗ (Colorado
rental condo)

members.aol.comdnvrfoxOpen ↗ (Family Web Page)