Are there exceptions to ATGATT?

ChucksKLRST

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I will agree that avoiding is the best but I didn't have that opportunity. I had a hi-viz helmet like rjs987's and he still hit me from behind. So now I have the HJC IS-17 in a different color. Hope a little more vizeable?
So true but one (cage drivers) has to actually look to be able to see a motorcyclist in HI VIS. One must look out there windshield to see, not at there phone. No look, No see, Hi Vis is irrelevant.
 
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You know part of motorcycle safety is avoiding accidents in the first place, and being seen is a big part of that. I just went and looked thru all of the avatars of those responding to this thread and of those who have their pictures in their avatar, either standing or riding, NOT A SINGLE ONE (myself included) was wearing any Hi Viz gear..either jacket or helmet,...or a white helmet. Some may be wearing it and not showing it in their avatar, but I find it kind of ironic that people preach about safety while wearing all black riding gear. I know when I do see a rider wearing Hi Viz he really stands out, is shockingly noticeable, and is highly visible for a long time going up the road. I do have a Hi Viz safety vest I wear at times, but not all the time. My next jacket purchase WILL be Hi Viz, and my next helmet purchase will be white.
Completely agree.....I call it doing my part. A guy that teachers with me turned in front of a black cruiser with a rider wearing all black. He said he never saw the bike and was judging the distance between himself and the black pickup behind the cruiser. The headlight matched up perfectly.

The rider did look cool up to the point of the crash. That teacher has commented many times that he wished the biker were wearing the HiViz helmet and jacket I wear.
 
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You know part of motorcycle safety is avoiding accidents in the first place, and being seen is a big part of that. I just went and looked thru all of the avatars of those responding to this thread and of those who have their pictures in their avatar, either standing or riding, NOT A SINGLE ONE (myself included) was wearing any Hi Viz gear..either jacket or helmet,...or a white helmet. Some may be wearing it and not showing it in their avatar, but I find it kind of ironic that people preach about safety while wearing all black riding gear. I know when I do see a rider wearing Hi Viz he really stands out, is shockingly noticeable, and is highly visible for a long time going up the road. I do have a Hi Viz safety vest I wear at times, but not all the time. My next jacket purchase WILL be Hi Viz, and my next helmet purchase will be white.
My avatar is old. I was wearing a hi viz helmet but now also wear a hi viz Stich for everything except commuting. I wear my old gear (seen in my avatar) for that. I completely agree about being seen. I try to give myself every chance I can.
 
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My approach to ATGATT - I have a couple of one piece suits, (1) hi-vis yellow, (1) red, so the pants go on with the jacket, helmet is habitual as breathing, ditto with gloves and footwear (seasonally adjusted). As seen in my avatar. My Ski Patrol Gear is about the same (skiing speed is 15-20 mph).

Be Wise, learn from others' experiences or at least Smart, learn from your own experiences.

Ride Safe Regardless (RSR)
 
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st11ray

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I wear a black & white helmet, black jacket, black pants and ride a black bike. I don't want them to see me. If they see me, they have something to aim at. I prefer stealth mode. It's worked well for 37 years and a few hundred thousand miles.
 
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I'm a believer now in ATGATT all the time now. I wasn't even moving, so distance of the trip had no bearing here.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?143831-Went-down-yesterday&highlight=

It reinforces, to me, that at the very least I WILL always have my helmet on from here forward. I used to take a block and a 1/2 ride to fill up, then back to the house with no helmet.

Soon, I'll start looking for some cooler gear for the upcoming scorchers this summer.
 

sirepair

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I've ridden off and on since I was 8 years old. Crashed more times than I care to think about and not sure how I survived. Worse crash was a low side on a clover leaf. Was wearing a helmet but had literally 1 minute earlier taken off a leather riding jacket. Broke my left arm in multiple places, and had quite a bit of road rash on right arm. Had I not been wearing a helmet, I'm sure I would have been a vegitable or dead. The road rash took longer to heal than the broken arm, and was almost as painful. If you want to find a sadist, just show up at an E-R with road rash...

Now, I ride ATGATT. New jacket is a Hi Viz TourMaster Transition II and helmet is light silver AVG Modular.

As has been said, what's right for you is your choice.
 

TPadden

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I remember liking to run around barefoot when I was a kid....then stepping on broken glass, thorns, nails, and sharp rocks took the fun out of it....I never go barefoot now.....my riding gear has gone the same way....I just feel more comfortable wearing it all the time, because at my age injury hurts, for a long time.....ride well, ride safe...........ff
Wuss.....;)
 
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If you want to find a sadist, just show up at an E-R with road rash...
No kidding....When I went to the ER with my collarbone broken in several pieces from a lowside, the first thing the nurse did was roll her eyes.
 

the Ferret

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Step 1 taken today. Picked up new HJC CL Max 2 IS BT... White lol



 
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If you want to find a sadist, just show up at an E-R with road rash...
Oh tell me about it! When I had my rash (the time that started me wearing full gear) I was amazed that my nurse must have also been a magician. Somehow the nice soft gauze she showed me turned into a wire brush when she started cleaning the dirt out of my rash. She was a particularly cute nurse so I tried to be all manly about it. That lasted about 2.5 seconds.

My usual attire.

2014-06-mm1k-0500.jpg
 

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I just went and looked thru all of the avatars of those responding to this thread and of those who have their pictures in their avatar, either standing or riding, NOT A SINGLE ONE (myself included) was wearing any Hi Viz gear..either jacket or helmet,...or a white helmet.
hmm... my, visually plain black Dainese 2-piece GoreTex combi might fool you there with its braided-in reflective 3M patches, which will literally flare up when hit by a light beam...
Same with the silver patches on the heels of my Daytona boots and the SHOEI sticker on the back of my black Multitec (but I do own a white Neotec as well ;-) )

The none/use of high-viz gear (nuke yellow, etc...) has been discussed ad nauseam, turns out that the rider's body stays visually "hidden" on his motorcycle (just take my avatar shot as example), yet the complete silhouette of an approaching bike just blends in with the background, remains hidden behind a telegraph post, the trunk of a tree, the A-column/outside mirror of the car sitting at the stop/yield sign...
We've even tested it during motorcycle safety trainings, rider with conventional black vs rider in bight yellow clothing approaching from like 1/2 a mile... from a distance the yellow does not stand out at all...
Even a white helmet will just blend in with a bright/silvery sky behind...

So one could raise as many colours he wants, riding defensive and foresighted is the only thing that works for increasing your safety...
 

BakerBoy

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MartinB, regarding high-viz... Are all accidents and risks solely from the front? No. Is riding defensive and foresighted the only thing that works for increasing your safety? No.

From the side or rear, the high-viz color is highly noticeable without having to be lit by light. My seeing a rider wearing high-viz in actual road conditions was the proof I needed and led me to get high-viz. Better to have it and it perhaps not be useful in some situations, than not having it in any number of situations where it is useful to be seen.
 

RCS

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Yes. Always dress for the crash. Since I am on the highway 99.9% of the time I dress for a significant initial impact with the pavement and a 70mph slide on concrete.

If I were doing your short commute I would dress for a very hard impact with the pavement and at least a 30 foot slide on concrete. Someone could hit you from behind or the side or turn left in front of you if they are talking on the phone or texting. Your knees and hands will likely be most vulnerable.
 
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JQL

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Are there exceptions to ATGATT?

It depends on how much (unnecessary) pain you are prepared to put up with.


Remember, most accidents occur close to home.
 

the Ferret

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I agree with Baker boy, actually seeing another rider wearing HI VIz was a revelation for me. They were shockingly noticeable, as in "WOW you can really see that guy". Also coming from the Highway Traffic Safety Business I know how important Hi Viz clothing is for safety of Highway workers, if fact it's mandated by law in many countries that they wear it for their own safety. If it works for them, it will work for us. My Hi Viz safety vest also has federally mandated reflective stripes which light up when hit by headlights, many square inches of it, compared to the minimal piping on a normal motorcycle jacket.



I might point out also that not all the bikes we ride cover up our bodies. My CB 1100 is a naked bike and I am easily visible riding it from all sides and angles, and sport bikes riders can be seen easily too. I agree when riding our ST's that part of our visibility is shielded by a full fairing from the front and a trunk from the rear (if we have one), but ANY increased visibility is better than none IMO. Having seen it first hand, I'm convinced.

 
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Are there exceptions to ATGATT?

It depends on how much (unnecessary) pain you are prepared to put up with.
Exactly, it's personal choice. If I am wearing jeans on a hot day with boots and a long sleeve shirt, gloves and a full face helmet--that's my business. Please don't criticize me by being an ATGATT nazi. If you saw me 30 years ago on a Harley with no helmet or shirt going by you doing 70 mph you would understand that I have come a long way with common sense. Please respect other riders personal choice and comfort level.
 
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