Near-misses: Have you ever had this?
Discussion
OP, read this: https://www.portsmouthctc.org.uk/a-fighter-pilots-...
Gives an interesting perspective on how we sometimes look but don't see.
Gives an interesting perspective on how we sometimes look but don't see.
It happened to me a couple of times on the same sliproad. Both times I must have been keeping pace exactly with a car on the inside lane and both times I had to take avoiding action at the last minute. I am now much more thorough with over the shoulder checks.
To an extent I think people travelling in the inside lane should try to be more aware of this possibility and adjust speed if necessary. There might be an element of my ‘right of way’ creeping in at times, without the realisation that they haven’t actually been seen.
To an extent I think people travelling in the inside lane should try to be more aware of this possibility and adjust speed if necessary. There might be an element of my ‘right of way’ creeping in at times, without the realisation that they haven’t actually been seen.
Boo-urns said:
...situations when I'm paying more attention than usual ...
You may be paying more attention, but your brain's letting you down in the amount of information it's gathering, so learning from that article about fighter pilots to minimise the potential for missing things may well help.dvenman said:
You may be paying more attention, but your brain's letting you down in the amount of information it's gathering, so learning from that article about fighter pilots to minimise the potential for missing things may well help.
Experience tells me that when a driver makes repeated observation mistakes it usually for just one reason. They are trying to make decisions too quickly (in essence to avoid slowing as much as they actually need to - which feels great when it works, but when it doesn't you get the situation as described by the OP). Solution is simple. Be aware of your observation limitations by all means, but the solution is always the same. More time, more observation. Do not rush!
I went through a phase not that long ago when I dropped the ball far too many times within about a week, too.
Almost certainly due to a lack of sufficient rest in my case. Burning the candle at both ends came to a head when I managed to stop a full car length beyond the stop line for a red light (I didn't look properly at the lights, filter light for OH turn was green but straight ahead was red). I was seriously pissed off at myself for that one and took some action to prevent reoccurance (not driving when I knew I'd be too tired, namely).
Above article is very interesting!
Almost certainly due to a lack of sufficient rest in my case. Burning the candle at both ends came to a head when I managed to stop a full car length beyond the stop line for a red light (I didn't look properly at the lights, filter light for OH turn was green but straight ahead was red). I was seriously pissed off at myself for that one and took some action to prevent reoccurance (not driving when I knew I'd be too tired, namely).
Above article is very interesting!
I'm currently reading a book which explores the way in which the brain operates. The section I am on at the moment deals with sight, and it makes some very interesting observations about how we perceive our sense of sight and what is actually happening.
The net net is that a large part of what we believe we see is actually a construct of the brain rather than absolutely true perception (i.e. unlike what a film camera sees). The practical result of this is that the brain can fail to register something which is in plain sight simply because our attention wasn't drawn to it for whatever reason.
Someone I know has been looking at drivers' eye movements with regard to where they are looking when they're driving. The results were interesting for a number of reasons, but one thing that particularly struck me was the difference in observation times for a given scene (e.g. checking left and right before pulling out of a junction). The "typical" drivers tended to rapidly glance at the scene for less than a second in each direction. The more trained drivers spent a lot more time looking around the scene in each direction before committing.
Practically speaking, that's probably an argument for taking more time to really look around the road scene before committing to a manoeuvre.
The net net is that a large part of what we believe we see is actually a construct of the brain rather than absolutely true perception (i.e. unlike what a film camera sees). The practical result of this is that the brain can fail to register something which is in plain sight simply because our attention wasn't drawn to it for whatever reason.
Someone I know has been looking at drivers' eye movements with regard to where they are looking when they're driving. The results were interesting for a number of reasons, but one thing that particularly struck me was the difference in observation times for a given scene (e.g. checking left and right before pulling out of a junction). The "typical" drivers tended to rapidly glance at the scene for less than a second in each direction. The more trained drivers spent a lot more time looking around the scene in each direction before committing.
Practically speaking, that's probably an argument for taking more time to really look around the road scene before committing to a manoeuvre.
I'll own up to a few of these problems too. (We walk amongst you).
I have a 'lazy left eye' - my right eye is almost 20/20.
One of the things that used to catch me out was I always naturally looked left before looking right, when I should be looking right then left.
I've had a couple of near misses in 35 years of driving.
The only way I've found to correct this is to make my self look both ways several times before moving.
Check once, check twice, check again - and then double up on the 'Life Saver' - over both shoulders LOOK AROUND.
Dunno if that helps
I have a 'lazy left eye' - my right eye is almost 20/20.
One of the things that used to catch me out was I always naturally looked left before looking right, when I should be looking right then left.
I've had a couple of near misses in 35 years of driving.
The only way I've found to correct this is to make my self look both ways several times before moving.
Check once, check twice, check again - and then double up on the 'Life Saver' - over both shoulders LOOK AROUND.
Dunno if that helps
The good thing is you’ve reflected on the situation and want to prevent it happening again.
I nearly cleared up a cyclist a couple of years ago near home - modern car with large A pillar. Coming up to the give way at a T junction my speed and speed of cyclist coincided so that he stayed in this blind spot. Heard a bang (cyclist tapped car) and I saw some fist shaking in RVM so I stopped and asked what happened and then apologised. Now at junctions I stop and pause momentarily even if coast is clear - several times a car has popped into view hidden by the A pillar.
Just pause momentarily to check again and be sure its safe.
Most people wouldnt even think or care about it.
I nearly cleared up a cyclist a couple of years ago near home - modern car with large A pillar. Coming up to the give way at a T junction my speed and speed of cyclist coincided so that he stayed in this blind spot. Heard a bang (cyclist tapped car) and I saw some fist shaking in RVM so I stopped and asked what happened and then apologised. Now at junctions I stop and pause momentarily even if coast is clear - several times a car has popped into view hidden by the A pillar.
Just pause momentarily to check again and be sure its safe.
Most people wouldnt even think or care about it.
Agree on A pillars. Drive a car from the 1960s and you will find the forward view around their narrower, more vertical pillars immensely better than any modern car. More accidents, but less consequence for car passengers? I rented a small SUV a year or so ago. It had huge A posts, well forward of the drivers head. For the first few miles, I found it uncomfortable even to negotiate bends on country roads.
What we see is entirely the product of signal processing by the brain. The sensors in the eye are most sensitive to changes, so though you take a good look in a direction, don't stare, a slow movement is better. The same goes for the brain, making two looks in the same direction better than twice as effective in spotting a moving object.
Even when we see things, our brain logic can fail totally. It's not totally unheard of for someone to see a car coming, wait for it and then drive in front of it, causing a (near) collision. And afterwards, though they know what they did, they have no idea why.
What we see is entirely the product of signal processing by the brain. The sensors in the eye are most sensitive to changes, so though you take a good look in a direction, don't stare, a slow movement is better. The same goes for the brain, making two looks in the same direction better than twice as effective in spotting a moving object.
Even when we see things, our brain logic can fail totally. It's not totally unheard of for someone to see a car coming, wait for it and then drive in front of it, causing a (near) collision. And afterwards, though they know what they did, they have no idea why.
WilliamWoollard said:
OP, read this: https://www.portsmouthctc.org.uk/a-fighter-pilots-...
Gives an interesting perspective on how we sometimes look but don't see.
What a brilliant article. I naturally do quite a few of those things. I always have an extra look left and right at T junctions before pulling out. This is after walking into a road and getting punted by a Mondeo in my younger years Gives an interesting perspective on how we sometimes look but don't see.
Another wee thing I think of at T junctions is, when looking left then right, work out which way you can see less far, and look that way last. Reduces the likelihood of someone appearing when you’re accelerating into the new road.
I found that an interesting and quick way to upgrade my observation habits was to do my CBT for a motorbike. It's under GBP200, and even if you never ride again it's a fun day out. In the two years since then I've taken the full DAS test, which has upgraded my road paranoia/observation to new levels.
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