Did you know that our eyes are not designed for driving?
An article in the London Cyclist states “We are the result of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Our eyes, and the way that our brain processes the images that they receive, are very well suited to creeping up on unsuspecting antelopes and spotting threats such as saber-toothed tigers.”
Even though these threats are gone, they have been replaced by high speeding automobiles! But yet, our eyes have not yet adapted. How come?
The article states “Light enters our eyes and falls upon the retina. It is then converted into electrical impulses that the brain perceives as images. Only a small part of your retina, the center bit called the fovea, can generate a high-resolution image. This is why we need to look directly at something, to see detail. The rest of the retina lacks detail but it contributes by adding the peripheral vision. However, a mere 20 degrees away from your sightline, your visual acuity is about 1/10th of what it is at the center.”
In the article, John Sullivan, a Royal Air Force Pilot with over 4,000 flight hours and a cyclist explains in how knowing that our eyes are not made for driving, there are still ways to train drivers and teach cyclists and motorcyclists how to stay safe on the road.
When a person moves their head an eyes to look at something, their eyes are incapable of seeing everything. They will see the image in quick jumps, or a saccade, with short pauses and it is during the pauses that an image is processed.
The brain will fill in gaps with assumptions that what is in those gaps is the same as what was in the pauses. The brain actually blocks the image that is being received when your eyes are moving. This is why you do not see blurry images.
So, it is actually possible for our eyes to miss an oncoming bicycle or motorcycle.
What do you do now that you know this information?
Here are some suggestions on how to prevent accidents:
Drivers:
- Slow down on the approach of a roundabout or junction. Even if the road seems empty. Changing speed will allow you to see vehicles that would otherwise be invisible to you.
- A glance is never enough. You need to be as methodical and deliberate as a fighter pilot would be. Focus on at least 3 different spots along the road to the right and left. Search close, middle-distance and far. With practice, this can be accomplished quickly, and each pause is only for a fraction of a second. Fighter pilots call this a “lookout scan” and it is vital to their survival.
- Always look right and left at least twice. This doubles your chance of seeing a vehicle.
- Make a point of looking next to the windscreen pillars. Better still, lean forward slightly as you look right and left so that you are looking around the door pillars. Be aware that the pillar nearest to you blocks more of your vision. Fighter pilots say ‘Move your head – or you're dead'.
- Clear your flight path! When changing lanes, check your mirrors and as a last check, look directly at the spot which are going to maneuver.
- Drive with your lights on. Bright vehicles or clothing is always easier to spot than dark colors that don't contrast with a scene.
- It is especially difficult to spot bicycles, motorbikes and pedestrians during low sun conditions as contrast is reduced.
- Keep your windscreen clean – seeing other vehicles is enough of a challenge without a dirty windscreen. You never see a fighter jet with a dirty canopy.
- Finally, don't be a clown – if you are looking at your mobile telephone then you are incapable of seeing much else. Not only are you probably looking down into your lap, but your eyes are focused at less and every object at distance will be out of focus. Even when you look up and out, it takes a fraction of a second for your eyes to adjust – this is time you may not have.
Cyclists and motorcyclists:
- Recognize the risk of being in a saccade. High contrast clothing and lights help. In particular, flashing LED's (front and rear) are especially effective for cyclists as they create contrast and the on-off flashing attracts the peripheral vision in the same manner that movement does. There's nothing wrong with leaving these on during the day.
- The relatively slower speed of bicycles means that they will be closer to a point of collision if a vehicle begins to pull into their path. Turn this to advantage – when passing junctions, look at the head of the driver that is approaching or has stopped. The head of the driver will naturally stop and center upon you if you have been seen. If the driver's head sweeps through you without pausing, then the chances are that you are in a saccade – you must assume that you have not been seen and expect the driver to pull out!
- Recognize that with a low sun, a dirty windscreen or one with rain beating against it drivers are likely to have less of a chance of seeing you.
- Take a cycle training course – this will teach you where you need to be positioned on the road, how to use your eyesight to make sure drivers pay you attention and other useful techniques that can minimize dangers.
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