1, 2, 3 . . .
In six months the evenings start drawing in again :)
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Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Saturday, 19 December 2009
Independent Safeguarding Authority scheme
ATL union have a factsheet on their web site covering the new Independent Safeguarding Authority scheme.
This factsheet explores the framework for the new vetting and barring service, covering those working or volunteering with children or vulnerable adults
Download pdf
What's it about, why has it been brought in, and might it affect you if you're an instructor?
Following the Soham murders the government set up an Inquiry chaired by Sir Michael Bichard. The Inquiry published its report in 2004 and made 31 recommendations. One of the recommendations stated that:
“New arrangements should be introduced requiring those who wish to work with children, or vulnerable adults, to be registered. The register would confirm that there is no known reason why an individual should not work with those clients.”
The government accepted the recommendation and as a result enacted the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups(Northern Ireland) Order 2007.
Independent Safeguarding Authority
The Act set out the framework for a new vetting and barring service, covering those who work or volunteer with children (defined as those under the age of 18) and vulnerable adults. The scheme is to be fully introduced from 26 July 2010.
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This factsheet explores the framework for the new vetting and barring service, covering those working or volunteering with children or vulnerable adults
Download pdf
What's it about, why has it been brought in, and might it affect you if you're an instructor?
Following the Soham murders the government set up an Inquiry chaired by Sir Michael Bichard. The Inquiry published its report in 2004 and made 31 recommendations. One of the recommendations stated that:
“New arrangements should be introduced requiring those who wish to work with children, or vulnerable adults, to be registered. The register would confirm that there is no known reason why an individual should not work with those clients.”
The government accepted the recommendation and as a result enacted the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups(Northern Ireland) Order 2007.
Independent Safeguarding Authority
The Act set out the framework for a new vetting and barring service, covering those who work or volunteer with children (defined as those under the age of 18) and vulnerable adults. The scheme is to be fully introduced from 26 July 2010.
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Kid's Road Safety
Saturday, 5 December 2009
DSA on YouTube
DSA have recently added a Youtube 'channel' as a method for improving communication with the public and interested professionals.
Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/dsagov
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Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/dsagov
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Friday, 4 December 2009
Book!
Some time ago I posted about John Brown's excellent book "Driving is more about Psychology than Systems".
He's now followed this up with: "Driving is turning Disability into Ability".
I haven't read the new book, but if it's anywhere near as good as the first, then it'll be useful.
If you're an ADI, trainer, or Observer, I thoroughly recommend the first book!
More details: www.drivingincludesu.co.uk
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Thursday, 3 December 2009
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Wet Wet Wet
Water has certainly been in the news lately, from the catastrophic floods in Cockermouth (a town I know well, and regularly visit; I've been in many of those flooded-out shops and pubs) to more localised downpours such as those we had Saturday evening.
As luck would have it, I was in the car, but it set me thinking . . .
Local Knowledge
There's an old saying that 'familiarity breeds contempt'. But used carefully, local knowledge can work for you. So it was that I was able to predict - from previous heavy rain - those locations where the road was likely to be submerged. I was right in some cases, wrong in others.
Stop Within the Distance You Can See To Be Clear
At times it was difficult to see very much - not helped by the driver in front deciding to have his rear fog light on . . . However, even staying 100 - 150m back, I was able to see how he (guessing) was reacting to the road ahead, and so when he braked firmly where there's usually no need it was a 'warning' for me.
Around the corner . . . and the road was submerged from verge to verge! 'parked' in it was a drowned car, accompanied by a breakdown van and a police car. Helpfully, the police had put out some 'arrow' signs - unhelpfully they had all their flashy lights going, it was difficult to see much as it was bouncing off every available wet surface.
See and Be Seen
Worse still, there was someone - I'm guessing police - stood in-line between where I had to drive and the police vehicle. Despite his hi-viz coat it was almost impossible to see hime due to the flood of bright lights.
Remember, kids, just because you can see someone it doesn't mean they can see you - however bright you are!
The Farmer Brown Test Revisited
You may have seen the 'Farmer Brown Test', which says: IF it looks stupid, it probably is, so don't do it.
A variation on 'too good [or cheap] to be true'
Another variation is: 'Just because it's smooth, flat and dark, doesn't mean it's a road'.
On the final (well, almost, but I wanted dramatic effect) roundabout before 'home' I realised just in time that what looked like a roundabout was actually a lake. I don't know what made me realise (although under street lights, remember this was in torrential rain, so the roads were already very wet), but it's a reminder to keep your speed down in such circumstances, and trust your 'spidey sense'.
Edit to add some more (and sort a couple of typos):
If you do have to pass through floods, try to determine whether the road has 'crown camber' (ie is higher in the centre between the opposing lanes) or 'super elevation' also known as 'cross fall' (where there is a slope from one side to the other). Knowing this can help you decide where the shallow water will be.
Then, keep your speed down to prevent a bow wave.
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Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Regular Readers . . .
. . . May have noticed a [now missing] 'comment' appear on the end of a recent post.
I like reading your comments, you may think of a different 'twist' to how I see things.
However, this one was different, it was a blatant plug for a web site, complete with html link.
Now, such posts can be a legitimate way of advertising. In fact, if I'd received an email from the owner I might even have posted about the site.
But 'free' advertising for no contribution? No, sorry, Comment >>> 'Bin'.
But out of curiosity I had a look around the site . . . Advertising . . . If I want to advertise on their site, then a 'Button' is £25 per month.
Definately staying in the bin!
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I like reading your comments, you may think of a different 'twist' to how I see things.
However, this one was different, it was a blatant plug for a web site, complete with html link.
Now, such posts can be a legitimate way of advertising. In fact, if I'd received an email from the owner I might even have posted about the site.
But 'free' advertising for no contribution? No, sorry, Comment >>> 'Bin'.
But out of curiosity I had a look around the site . . . Advertising . . . If I want to advertise on their site, then a 'Button' is £25 per month.
Definately staying in the bin!
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Saturday, 28 November 2009
Compendium of motorcycling statistics - 2009 edition
On 29 October 2009 Transport Statistics, DfT, issued figures covering all types of two-wheeled motor vehicle transport, with the statistics presented in four sections: Motorcyclists (statistics on motorcycle ownership and training); Motorcycles (information about the vehicles and their characteristics); Journeys made (their number, purpose and characteristics); and Motorcycling safety (statistics on road accidents involving motorcycles). The key findings include:
• In 2008, just under 3% of households had at least one motorcycle, with about 1.3 million licensed motorcycles in Great Britain in 2008
• Of the 105,000 motorcycle tests carried out in 2008/09, 85% were taken by men
• Over a million motorcycles underwent an MOT test in 2008/09. Of these, 81% passed
• The distance driven by motorcycles in 2008 was 5.1 million vehicle kilometres, down 8% on 2007
• In 2008 the number of deaths or serious injuries involving motorcycles was 1,131 per billion kms driven. A decade earlier it was 23% higher
• In 2008, of the motorcycle drivers tested following an accident, only 1.4% failed a breathalyser test - significantly lower than the 2.7% rate for road users as a whole.
For queries concerning this publication, email Vehicle.Stats@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Info from: TRANSPORT STATISTICS USERS GROUP http://www.tsug.org.uk/
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• In 2008, just under 3% of households had at least one motorcycle, with about 1.3 million licensed motorcycles in Great Britain in 2008
• Of the 105,000 motorcycle tests carried out in 2008/09, 85% were taken by men
• Over a million motorcycles underwent an MOT test in 2008/09. Of these, 81% passed
• The distance driven by motorcycles in 2008 was 5.1 million vehicle kilometres, down 8% on 2007
• In 2008 the number of deaths or serious injuries involving motorcycles was 1,131 per billion kms driven. A decade earlier it was 23% higher
• In 2008, of the motorcycle drivers tested following an accident, only 1.4% failed a breathalyser test - significantly lower than the 2.7% rate for road users as a whole.
For queries concerning this publication, email Vehicle.Stats@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Info from: TRANSPORT STATISTICS USERS GROUP http://www.tsug.org.uk/
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Friday, 27 November 2009
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Piaggio 'Urban' - More
The concept bike has made the leap from pixels to print, appearing in this week's MCN.
Additional detail suggests - bearing in mind it's only a clay concept bike! - that it will have a top-box option, answering Ian's comment about practicality.
Worth noting though, the hybrid MP3 they've launched looks very different from the styling exercise pictures published 18 months back.
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Additional detail suggests - bearing in mind it's only a clay concept bike! - that it will have a top-box option, answering Ian's comment about practicality.
Worth noting though, the hybrid MP3 they've launched looks very different from the styling exercise pictures published 18 months back.
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Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Roundabouts . . .
Roundabouts.
I 'grew up', as far as riding and driving goes, in Basingstoke (aka 'Donut City' to the CB radio crew) and have never had any concerns about them.
But some folk take things a bit far . . .
Roundabouts of Britain might be seen as an example of this.
As with Riders for Health, this site has a shop too - so plenty of Christmas present ideas!
In the news
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I 'grew up', as far as riding and driving goes, in Basingstoke (aka 'Donut City' to the CB radio crew) and have never had any concerns about them.
But some folk take things a bit far . . .
Roundabouts of Britain might be seen as an example of this.
As with Riders for Health, this site has a shop too - so plenty of Christmas present ideas!
In the news
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Monday, 23 November 2009
BMW C1-E - Electric
While searching Google images for Royce Creasey's Voyager and HiTechati prototypes, I noticed pictures of a BMW C1-E.
Some suggection from a comment that there's a Vectrix motor underpinning it, but I haven't compared it.
Noticable, though, that much of the original C1 'cladding' has gone, including a much-reduced screen - now not needing a windscreen wiper as the rider can see over it.
They've also eliminated the overly-complicated dual-handle stand mechanism. That's not necessarily a good thing - it doesn't appear to have any stand!
The site notes BMW saying it's only a concept.
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Some suggection from a comment that there's a Vectrix motor underpinning it, but I haven't compared it.
Noticable, though, that much of the original C1 'cladding' has gone, including a much-reduced screen - now not needing a windscreen wiper as the rider can see over it.
They've also eliminated the overly-complicated dual-handle stand mechanism. That's not necessarily a good thing - it doesn't appear to have any stand!
The site notes BMW saying it's only a concept.
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Sunday, 22 November 2009
Royce Creasey - He Sees The Future
Actually, he builds it too!!!
Not content with BMW having an uncanny likeness between their original C1 concept and Royce's Voyager prototype:
. . . MCN are reporting on their web site that the Italian company Piaggio have invented the "Urban Sport Bike Concept".
This bears - another! - uncanny resemblance to one of Royce's earlier creations, the HiTechati - itself using an Italian Ducati engine.
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Not content with BMW having an uncanny likeness between their original C1 concept and Royce's Voyager prototype:
. . . MCN are reporting on their web site that the Italian company Piaggio have invented the "Urban Sport Bike Concept".
This bears - another! - uncanny resemblance to one of Royce's earlier creations, the HiTechati - itself using an Italian Ducati engine.
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Saturday, 21 November 2009
Motorcycling Christmas Gifts
Wondering what Christmas presents to get for the motorcyclist in your family?
Try Riders.org - that's Riders for Health - and their shop for a couple of novel ideas:
£10 A fortnight’s worth of fuel for a health worker
£20 A tool kit for a health worker
£35 A helmet for a health worker
£55 A day’s training for a health worker
There you are: fantastic, novel, and potentially life-saving Christmas gift present ideas for bikers!!!
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Try Riders.org - that's Riders for Health - and their shop for a couple of novel ideas:
£10 A fortnight’s worth of fuel for a health worker
£20 A tool kit for a health worker
£35 A helmet for a health worker
£55 A day’s training for a health worker
There you are: fantastic, novel, and potentially life-saving Christmas gift present ideas for bikers!!!
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Friday, 20 November 2009
Instructor Beware!
This weeks (18th Nov) Motorcycle news reports the case of Ken Clark, who was in court on a speeding charge.
He was caught speeding at 85mph, and would normally have expected a relatively 'mild' fine.
But he was awarded six points, fined, and had to pay £250 costs.
Why? Because he was the lead rider of a group, and although he wasn't substantially exceeding the speed limit , other riders in the group were (allegations of 103mph) - and it was seen that their riding was his responsibility.
This raises, in my mind, concerns over riding instructors being held responsible for the riding of their trainees.
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He was caught speeding at 85mph, and would normally have expected a relatively 'mild' fine.
But he was awarded six points, fined, and had to pay £250 costs.
Why? Because he was the lead rider of a group, and although he wasn't substantially exceeding the speed limit , other riders in the group were (allegations of 103mph) - and it was seen that their riding was his responsibility.
This raises, in my mind, concerns over riding instructors being held responsible for the riding of their trainees.
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Risk & Riders
If you like to read about riding, then this may be of interest:
http://www.writetoride.co.uk/RISK_AND_MOTORCYCLING_161109_v.3.pdf
RISK AND MOTORCYCLES
In the last decade, the risk of motorcycling has become the focus of research and government road safety departments which have identified the need to find solutions to the cause of death and injuries of riders.
A report published in 2006 by the Scottish Executive entitled “Risk and Motorcyclists in Scotland” categorises motorcyclists as “Risk Deniers”, “Optimistic Accepters” and “Realistic Accepters” basing these on the decision of the researcher as to whether the information provided is correct.
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http://www.writetoride.co.uk/RISK_AND_MOTORCYCLING_161109_v.3.pdf
RISK AND MOTORCYCLES
In the last decade, the risk of motorcycling has become the focus of research and government road safety departments which have identified the need to find solutions to the cause of death and injuries of riders.
A report published in 2006 by the Scottish Executive entitled “Risk and Motorcyclists in Scotland” categorises motorcyclists as “Risk Deniers”, “Optimistic Accepters” and “Realistic Accepters” basing these on the decision of the researcher as to whether the information provided is correct.
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Thursday, 19 November 2009
Bugatti Veyron Boat
From here
A US man claims a low-flying pelican caused him to veer off a road and drive his $1m Bugatti Veyron into a salt marsh.
La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist says the man claimed he lost concentration while driving his French-built Bugatti because the bird swooped into sight.
Gilchrist says the driver dropped his phone, reached down to pick it up and strayed into the brackish water in La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston.
Well, I'm just glad it wasn't his fault.
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Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Goodbye, Sir Knight!
We bid farewell to a neighbour.
Well, a neighbour's caravan anyway!
A very rare Coventry 'Knight' caravan, dating from the late 1940s. It's had an interesting life starting off, I understand, as a mobile bank then in later life being used as accomodation for farm workers.
More info on them here here and here, and here if you have access to Google Books.
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Monday, 16 November 2009
I Have Seen . . .
An 'older vehicles' theme this time.
- A 'James Bond' type Aston Martin, in the centre of London. Don't know if it was actually a DB5 or 6 - but it wasn't hanging about. SMERSH on it's tail, perhaps?
- A Moto Guzzi V50, in silver, with the mini-'Spada' three-part fairing. I had a red V50, with a 'California'-style screen & crash bars.
- An NSU RO80. Sadly, this was rather decrepit, and on the back of a lorry. Hopefully, going to a caring place & owner.
Not an older vehicle, but heading West along the M4 late at night, a Bently with the registration 'D11SCO'. John Travolta, perhaps? Or Gloria gaynor?
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- A 'James Bond' type Aston Martin, in the centre of London. Don't know if it was actually a DB5 or 6 - but it wasn't hanging about. SMERSH on it's tail, perhaps?
- A Moto Guzzi V50, in silver, with the mini-'Spada' three-part fairing. I had a red V50, with a 'California'-style screen & crash bars.
- An NSU RO80. Sadly, this was rather decrepit, and on the back of a lorry. Hopefully, going to a caring place & owner.
Not an older vehicle, but heading West along the M4 late at night, a Bently with the registration 'D11SCO'. John Travolta, perhaps? Or Gloria gaynor?
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Sunday, 15 November 2009
Motorcycle-Related Research - Recent Publications
A variety to peruse:
Research Reports published by TRL on behalf of DfT/DSA, all available at: http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/latest_publications.
• A review of motorcycle training
• Updating the motorcycle test for 2009: exploring the training requirements for off-road manoeuvres
• Passion, performance, practicality: motorcyclists’ motivations and attitudes to safety
A summary findings on the latter report is available on the DfT site at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme2/attitidestosafety/
(Posted & Linked yesterday)
The statistical release Motorcycling Compendium available at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/motorcycling/motorcyclingstats2009.
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Research Reports published by TRL on behalf of DfT/DSA, all available at: http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/latest_publications.
• A review of motorcycle training
• Updating the motorcycle test for 2009: exploring the training requirements for off-road manoeuvres
• Passion, performance, practicality: motorcyclists’ motivations and attitudes to safety
A summary findings on the latter report is available on the DfT site at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme2/attitidestosafety/
(Posted & Linked yesterday)
The statistical release Motorcycling Compendium available at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/motorcycling/motorcyclingstats2009.
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Saturday, 14 November 2009
What Type of Rider are You?
Are you one of these:
• Performance disciples: precautionary fatalism: see risk as unavoidable negative of riding but tend not to think about it all the time – emphasis on personal skill and armour as responses to risk.
• Performance hobbyists: cautious attraction: see risk as part of what makes riding fun, but very circumspect about own abilities to deal with risks, leading to caution in behaviour.
• Riding disciples: active management of risks: highly conscious of potential risk in riding, take active steps to manage it by responsible riding behaviour and use of gear.
• Riding hobbyists: personal responsibility for avoiding risk: highly conscious of risk, tendency to avoid potentially risky situations altogether, and to emphasise rider’s responsibility for risks.
• Car rejecters: high awareness and high unhappiness: very sensitive to the risks of riding, and see this as a strong argument against riding.
• Car aspirants: low awareness but high educability: tend not to think about the risks of riding and as a result may not take steps to manage them; but signs that they will take steps when the risks are pointed out to them.
• Look-at-me enthusiasts: blasé confidence: recognise risks of riding in general, but see themselves as relatively safe; plus strong tendency to see risk as part of what makes riding fun, and to engage in risky behaviours.
More here
And more research stuff tomorrow
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• Performance disciples: precautionary fatalism: see risk as unavoidable negative of riding but tend not to think about it all the time – emphasis on personal skill and armour as responses to risk.
• Performance hobbyists: cautious attraction: see risk as part of what makes riding fun, but very circumspect about own abilities to deal with risks, leading to caution in behaviour.
• Riding disciples: active management of risks: highly conscious of potential risk in riding, take active steps to manage it by responsible riding behaviour and use of gear.
• Riding hobbyists: personal responsibility for avoiding risk: highly conscious of risk, tendency to avoid potentially risky situations altogether, and to emphasise rider’s responsibility for risks.
• Car rejecters: high awareness and high unhappiness: very sensitive to the risks of riding, and see this as a strong argument against riding.
• Car aspirants: low awareness but high educability: tend not to think about the risks of riding and as a result may not take steps to manage them; but signs that they will take steps when the risks are pointed out to them.
• Look-at-me enthusiasts: blasé confidence: recognise risks of riding in general, but see themselves as relatively safe; plus strong tendency to see risk as part of what makes riding fun, and to engage in risky behaviours.
More here
And more research stuff tomorrow
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Friday, 13 November 2009
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Carver - Bankrupt
I could make poor jokes about 'lean times' but I won't.
The sad news is that Carver have gone bankrupt.
CEO Willem Verheul said that there wasn’t enough of a market for the 50,000 euro vehicle: “We were hoping to sell 300 per year, instead we only managed 200.” The company will lay off nine employees.
However, the 'technology' arm of the company - invoved with the development of a flying version of the Carver! - is still running.
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Friday, 30 October 2009
Tesco - Every Little Helps [Them]
I don't like shopping. Have to do it occasionally, to how willing. And so, on one of those occasions, happened to 'accidentally' find myself in the beer aisle.
Now, maths isn't my strong point, but it didn't take me too long to work this one out.
And it's not the first time I've seen 'bulk buy' deals which actually cost more!
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Now, maths isn't my strong point, but it didn't take me too long to work this one out.
And it's not the first time I've seen 'bulk buy' deals which actually cost more!
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Monday, 26 October 2009
Hazard Ahead
HAZARD AHEAD BY ANDY HALL
The Hazard Ahead Book contains over 360 pictures of real events on the road. It puts you in the driver's seat so that you can get the get the feel of what is going on ahead and behind you. The pictures comprise text describing the scenes that you see. There are over 20 different subjects and much of what you will be able to put to practice when having driving school lessons.
This book is an excellent training aid and offers the following:
Pictures of actual events
Easy to understand
Grouped into subjects as taught by driving instructors
Wire-bound for easy use
User friendly text
Professionally compiled
Questions at the back of the book
Trade discount for schools and local authorities and for instructors to sell to their pupils
More details here
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Friday, 23 October 2009
Stereo and The Sun
Ill do my best to answer these two from Nikos, but the usual caveat: I'm not expert; use Wikipedia for a more definitive answer!
Ah ha...but does it explain why the sun appears to look bigger when it is closer to the horizon?
My understanding is that this illusion occurs because th esunrise/sunset puts the Sun 'alongside' things we 'know' the size of, rather than the high-noon position where it's 'in space'. False perspective, and all that.
Now, doesn't this second one remind you of something? The 'time to arrival' illusion of the TfL ad?
Are you easily offended, of a quiet nature, or are the young kids around?
If the answer to any of those is 'yes', turn the sound off before playing the next video!
What that shows is 'looming' and also the problems of a 'fixed heading' - no movement across the background until the pilot lifts the plane.
Yes but...rate of change of angle subtended - There must be a stereo image "angle" to this too (ie. depth/distance perception much more difficult for one eyed Gordon Brown compared to Mr Cameron?
There may be some stereo effect - but your eyes are [probably] only a few inches apart - what sort of an angle is involved in looking at an object 50 yards (or more) away? And 100 yards is 3 seconds at 30mph - just the sort of critical distance for you and a driver in a side road.
And three seconds is - coincidentally - all you really have with the Spitfire even when you know where to watch!
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Ah ha...but does it explain why the sun appears to look bigger when it is closer to the horizon?
My understanding is that this illusion occurs because th esunrise/sunset puts the Sun 'alongside' things we 'know' the size of, rather than the high-noon position where it's 'in space'. False perspective, and all that.
Now, doesn't this second one remind you of something? The 'time to arrival' illusion of the TfL ad?
Are you easily offended, of a quiet nature, or are the young kids around?
If the answer to any of those is 'yes', turn the sound off before playing the next video!
What that shows is 'looming' and also the problems of a 'fixed heading' - no movement across the background until the pilot lifts the plane.
Yes but...rate of change of angle subtended - There must be a stereo image "angle" to this too (ie. depth/distance perception much more difficult for one eyed Gordon Brown compared to Mr Cameron?
There may be some stereo effect - but your eyes are [probably] only a few inches apart - what sort of an angle is involved in looking at an object 50 yards (or more) away? And 100 yards is 3 seconds at 30mph - just the sort of critical distance for you and a driver in a side road.
And three seconds is - coincidentally - all you really have with the Spitfire even when you know where to watch!
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Thursday, 22 October 2009
Can the Monkeys Teach?
Thanks for your comments :)
AlistairL has added:
The slight trickiness with your argument is that it undermines any kind of claims about training or coaching, and any kind of book.
Experience is flawed because it is inherantly limited, and any method of imparting experience is also flawed due to limitations in communication.
Yes.
& No.
'Training' (of the road safety variety) is all very laudable - but there's very little proof that it ever does any real long-term good (in reducing crashes and casualty statistics).
So I was quite interested to read this report:
Does Anticipation Training Affect Drivers’ Risk Taking?
Frank P. McKenna University of Reading
Mark S. Horswill University of Queensland
Jane L. Alexander University of Reading
which includes:
Gregersen and Nyberg (2003) considered the conditions under which training might increase or decrease risk taking.
They were examining the effects of two early training programs in Norway, of which one resulted in an increase in accident involvement (skid training) and the other resulted in a decrease in accident involvement (training for driving in the dark).
They speculated that the differences occurred as a function of the method of training.
The skid training involved drivers mastering simple exercises and potentially creating unrealistically positive perceptions of driving skill, which could lead to increased risk taking. In contrast, the training for driving in the dark was designed to demonstrate the dangers and problems of nighttime driving and therefore might lead to a decrease in risk taking.
Now, take that last section: designed to demonstrate the dangers and problems
What's the main benefit of track days for 'training'? We're often told that track days are great because they allow improvement in riding without the risks of road riding.
Now, I'm not suggesting that all training should take place in high-risk environments!
But training must focus on realistic risk identification and management. And it is possible - and easy - to produce that in 'safe' environments - but it requires careful thought, planning, and presentation (and attitude) on the part of the trainer.
But that quoted paragraph also raise my concerns, again, over the 'progress imperative' within much 'advanced' training.
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AlistairL has added:
The slight trickiness with your argument is that it undermines any kind of claims about training or coaching, and any kind of book.
Experience is flawed because it is inherantly limited, and any method of imparting experience is also flawed due to limitations in communication.
Yes.
& No.
'Training' (of the road safety variety) is all very laudable - but there's very little proof that it ever does any real long-term good (in reducing crashes and casualty statistics).
So I was quite interested to read this report:
Does Anticipation Training Affect Drivers’ Risk Taking?
Frank P. McKenna University of Reading
Mark S. Horswill University of Queensland
Jane L. Alexander University of Reading
which includes:
Gregersen and Nyberg (2003) considered the conditions under which training might increase or decrease risk taking.
They were examining the effects of two early training programs in Norway, of which one resulted in an increase in accident involvement (skid training) and the other resulted in a decrease in accident involvement (training for driving in the dark).
They speculated that the differences occurred as a function of the method of training.
The skid training involved drivers mastering simple exercises and potentially creating unrealistically positive perceptions of driving skill, which could lead to increased risk taking. In contrast, the training for driving in the dark was designed to demonstrate the dangers and problems of nighttime driving and therefore might lead to a decrease in risk taking.
Now, take that last section: designed to demonstrate the dangers and problems
What's the main benefit of track days for 'training'? We're often told that track days are great because they allow improvement in riding without the risks of road riding.
Now, I'm not suggesting that all training should take place in high-risk environments!
But training must focus on realistic risk identification and management. And it is possible - and easy - to produce that in 'safe' environments - but it requires careful thought, planning, and presentation (and attitude) on the part of the trainer.
But that quoted paragraph also raise my concerns, again, over the 'progress imperative' within much 'advanced' training.
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Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Do Infinite Monkeys Read the IAM Book?
I like bookshops and libraries. I read loads, mostly fiction, with a sprinkling of 'real' stuff thrown in too, whether it's of the 'How To . . . ' variety (recently I've read about NLP, project management, report writing, and presentation skills) or periodicals such as the BMF's Motorcycle Rider magazine, DIA's Driving, or 'Eureka', an engineering and innovation magazine.
I don’t often get time to visit bookshops, but a few days ago I went to the local branch of Borders, in this case at an out-of-town warehouse-style 'retail park'.
In particular, I was looking for the IAM's new motorcycle book (“How to be a better rider”, written by IAM staff examiner Jon Taylor and motorcycle titles editor Stefan Bartlett), supposedly a radical development of their old (in itself a dramatic development from the original) handbook 'Pass Your Advanced Motorcycle Test' / 'How to be an advanced motorcyclist'.
First reports I've heard (there wasn't a copy in the shop, so I'm still none the wiser!) are that it is distinctly different - and an improvement - in both style and content from the previous book.
The new book is billed as “providing riders in the UK with the definitive guide to defensive riding”.
This set me scurrying for the dictionary - on-line instead of a real book! - to check on the meaning of 'definitive', as that claim concerned me.
The first on-line dictionary I looked at gives (amongst four):
2. Supplying or being a final settlement or decision; conclusive.
3. Authoritative and complete: a definitive biography.
Does it worry anyone else that the book is described as 'definitive' - i.e. 'Conclusive & Complete'?
Isn’t anything that realistically claims to be 'definitive' really going to be exclusive - there must be situations (hazards, risks, experiences, however you like to term them) which will be missed - either because the author(s) didn't think of them or because they had to 'filter' the content to get it down to manageable size? Make a book too big and no-one will buy or read it.
But riding and driving doesn't have those limits, there is no end to what you might face with while travelling. To be fair, the IAM do explain more: “IAM Chief Examiner Peter Rodger said: “The new IAM motorcycle manual is all about guiding principles. It’s not a ‘book of rules’.” Is it being sold as 'the only book you'll need', or will it set limits on its own definitiveness (I probably made that word up)?
The challenge for instructors (or, in the IAM's case, 'Observers'), is to develop the skill of identifying and managing not just the hazards that are 'known about' but the 'new' ones too.
Because, sometimes, it's easy to predict what might be around the next corner - either by small clues ('observation links' - "How can that affect me?"), or because those things quite often happen (e.g. an oncoming driver cutting a corner using some of 'your' lane).
But at other times it seems like those infinite monkeys have been given the day off from sitting at their typewriters (I'm assuming they've not moved onto word processors) attempting to recreate the entire works of William Shakespeare and, instead, have been to told to create pandemonium on the roads by small acts of madness. Because some things you'll see on the roads really are as mad as a box of monkeys.
.
I don’t often get time to visit bookshops, but a few days ago I went to the local branch of Borders, in this case at an out-of-town warehouse-style 'retail park'.
In particular, I was looking for the IAM's new motorcycle book (“How to be a better rider”, written by IAM staff examiner Jon Taylor and motorcycle titles editor Stefan Bartlett), supposedly a radical development of their old (in itself a dramatic development from the original) handbook 'Pass Your Advanced Motorcycle Test' / 'How to be an advanced motorcyclist'.
First reports I've heard (there wasn't a copy in the shop, so I'm still none the wiser!) are that it is distinctly different - and an improvement - in both style and content from the previous book.
The new book is billed as “providing riders in the UK with the definitive guide to defensive riding”.
This set me scurrying for the dictionary - on-line instead of a real book! - to check on the meaning of 'definitive', as that claim concerned me.
The first on-line dictionary I looked at gives (amongst four):
2. Supplying or being a final settlement or decision; conclusive.
3. Authoritative and complete: a definitive biography.
Does it worry anyone else that the book is described as 'definitive' - i.e. 'Conclusive & Complete'?
Isn’t anything that realistically claims to be 'definitive' really going to be exclusive - there must be situations (hazards, risks, experiences, however you like to term them) which will be missed - either because the author(s) didn't think of them or because they had to 'filter' the content to get it down to manageable size? Make a book too big and no-one will buy or read it.
But riding and driving doesn't have those limits, there is no end to what you might face with while travelling. To be fair, the IAM do explain more: “IAM Chief Examiner Peter Rodger said: “The new IAM motorcycle manual is all about guiding principles. It’s not a ‘book of rules’.” Is it being sold as 'the only book you'll need', or will it set limits on its own definitiveness (I probably made that word up)?
The challenge for instructors (or, in the IAM's case, 'Observers'), is to develop the skill of identifying and managing not just the hazards that are 'known about' but the 'new' ones too.
Because, sometimes, it's easy to predict what might be around the next corner - either by small clues ('observation links' - "How can that affect me?"), or because those things quite often happen (e.g. an oncoming driver cutting a corner using some of 'your' lane).
But at other times it seems like those infinite monkeys have been given the day off from sitting at their typewriters (I'm assuming they've not moved onto word processors) attempting to recreate the entire works of William Shakespeare and, instead, have been to told to create pandemonium on the roads by small acts of madness. Because some things you'll see on the roads really are as mad as a box of monkeys.
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Z Line Comment Comment
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2009/10/z-line-comment.html
Hi Nikos!
There is also the stunningly obvious issue that small objects are perceived to be further away!
I can't quite make out whether this paper addresses that.
It might seem stunningly obvious - but it's not that simple.
The psychological 'process' involved is called 'looming' - simply that as things get closer they get bigger. But in a weird way it's not linear.
Have a read of this:
Committee Report: Conspicuity Enhancement for Police Interceptor Rear-end Crash Mitigation
How Do I Know Closing or Relative Speed?
Drivers sometimes drive into the back of slow-moving vehicles, vehicles stopped in the travel lane, or parked vehicles on the side of the road. These crashes occur when visibility is not a problem and intoxication or health factors are not at play. These types of crashes are often attributed to driver inattention but perceptual deficiencies may be intermingled as well.
Olson (1993) and others have analyzed the difficulties people have in judging closing speed. It was mentioned above that a main cue to distance is the image size an object subtends at the driver's point of view. If the image grows larger, we know the object is coming toward us (if we judge we are at a standstill as indicated by other information in the visual flow field) or we are moving toward it (if so indicated by the information in the visual flow field). The rate of change of object size, looming, has been discussed as a primary cue to control braking.
9
Perceptual deficiencies in detecting change in object size will contribute to crash risk under certain conditions, e.g., at night.
The rate of change in image size depends on both speed of approach and viewing distance (Olson, 1993). Consider Figure 1, which shows how the visual angle an object subtends at the driver's vantage point changes with viewing distance (See Appendix for explanation). This figure assumes a 6-ft wide vehicle viewed from an initial separation distance of about 1000 ft. The first point to note is that the relationship between object size and distance is highly non-linear. The second point to note is that the image size of the object does not change much for most of the approach, even though it doubles with every halving of the viewing distance. At 1000 ft, the object subtends about 0.006 radians or one-third of one degree of visual angle. At 500 ft, the image size doubles to about 0.012 radians or two-thirds of one degree of visual angle. At 250 ft it doubles again. Because of this nonlinear relationship, drivers may not realize they are closing in at high speed until quite close to collision.
This non-linear effect is also known as the 'time to arrival' illusion, and was the reasoning behind a TfL safety advert:
So, Nikos, now addressed - hope that helps! If not, ask away.
.
Hi Nikos!
There is also the stunningly obvious issue that small objects are perceived to be further away!
I can't quite make out whether this paper addresses that.
It might seem stunningly obvious - but it's not that simple.
The psychological 'process' involved is called 'looming' - simply that as things get closer they get bigger. But in a weird way it's not linear.
Have a read of this:
Committee Report: Conspicuity Enhancement for Police Interceptor Rear-end Crash Mitigation
How Do I Know Closing or Relative Speed?
Drivers sometimes drive into the back of slow-moving vehicles, vehicles stopped in the travel lane, or parked vehicles on the side of the road. These crashes occur when visibility is not a problem and intoxication or health factors are not at play. These types of crashes are often attributed to driver inattention but perceptual deficiencies may be intermingled as well.
Olson (1993) and others have analyzed the difficulties people have in judging closing speed. It was mentioned above that a main cue to distance is the image size an object subtends at the driver's point of view. If the image grows larger, we know the object is coming toward us (if we judge we are at a standstill as indicated by other information in the visual flow field) or we are moving toward it (if so indicated by the information in the visual flow field). The rate of change of object size, looming, has been discussed as a primary cue to control braking.
9
Perceptual deficiencies in detecting change in object size will contribute to crash risk under certain conditions, e.g., at night.
The rate of change in image size depends on both speed of approach and viewing distance (Olson, 1993). Consider Figure 1, which shows how the visual angle an object subtends at the driver's vantage point changes with viewing distance (See Appendix for explanation). This figure assumes a 6-ft wide vehicle viewed from an initial separation distance of about 1000 ft. The first point to note is that the relationship between object size and distance is highly non-linear. The second point to note is that the image size of the object does not change much for most of the approach, even though it doubles with every halving of the viewing distance. At 1000 ft, the object subtends about 0.006 radians or one-third of one degree of visual angle. At 500 ft, the image size doubles to about 0.012 radians or two-thirds of one degree of visual angle. At 250 ft it doubles again. Because of this nonlinear relationship, drivers may not realize they are closing in at high speed until quite close to collision.
This non-linear effect is also known as the 'time to arrival' illusion, and was the reasoning behind a TfL safety advert:
So, Nikos, now addressed - hope that helps! If not, ask away.
.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
"Z Line" Comment
An anonymous reader left this comment after reading as far as the second Z Line post:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/08/z-line-2-limits-on-vision.html
Anonymous said...
I really wanted to understand your premise. However, after reading two paragraphs my eyes started to glaze over. I felt I was reading first chapter to a thesis. :-(
To be honest, the writer is correct.
I've been posting on various internet forums about Z Line for several years, and often had to go through the same detail or background, although not always all of it.
So the Z Line set of posts was an attempt to document it all - reason, history, actions, in one place.
Even more correct while being incorrect - because I didn't write that chunk! It's introduced: The following is from material written by Stephen Prower, formerly Research Officer for the BMF
That said, the set of posts is not perfect - and a 2 minute Youtube video would probably cover most of the 'actions' side of things. One day . . .
.
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/08/z-line-2-limits-on-vision.html
Anonymous said...
I really wanted to understand your premise. However, after reading two paragraphs my eyes started to glaze over. I felt I was reading first chapter to a thesis. :-(
To be honest, the writer is correct.
I've been posting on various internet forums about Z Line for several years, and often had to go through the same detail or background, although not always all of it.
So the Z Line set of posts was an attempt to document it all - reason, history, actions, in one place.
Even more correct while being incorrect - because I didn't write that chunk! It's introduced: The following is from material written by Stephen Prower, formerly Research Officer for the BMF
That said, the set of posts is not perfect - and a 2 minute Youtube video would probably cover most of the 'actions' side of things. One day . . .
.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Route Planning Sites
Just received from 'Safer Motoways', a useful list of route planning sites:
The AA - Route Planner
Today, the AA is in many ways the same motoring organisation that motorists have trusted since 1905. Our millions of members make us by far the largest motoring organisation, with more dedicated patrols than anyone else. The principal difference these days is that we now provide services not only to get you safely from A to B, but also to help organise your finances and even buy a new or second-hand car. The AA really can offer you everything you need.
http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp?database=B
Drive Alive - Route Planner
Driving holidays in Europe for the independent motorist. Ferries, hotels, holiday homes, camping.
http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/route_planner.php
Google Local
Find directions to local businesses and services.
http://www.google.co.uk/lochp?hl=en
Multimap - Route Planner
Multimap.com is Europe's most popular mapping web site, offering a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of the United Kingdom, Europe, and the US; road maps of the world; door-to-door travel directions; aerial photographs; and local information.
http://www.multimap.com/map/aproute.cgiinput_rt=aproute&startcountry=GB&endcountry=GB
The RAC Group - Route Planner
Six million RAC Members enjoy access to an enormous range of motoring products and services throughout their driving lives, ranging from the familiar and much appreciated roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown to continually updated legal and technical advice and up-to-the-minute travel information.
http://rp.rac.co.uk/routeplanner?advanced=true&fromcity=UK+town+%252F+postcode&tocity=UK+town+%252F+postcode
The AA - Route Planner
Today, the AA is in many ways the same motoring organisation that motorists have trusted since 1905. Our millions of members make us by far the largest motoring organisation, with more dedicated patrols than anyone else. The principal difference these days is that we now provide services not only to get you safely from A to B, but also to help organise your finances and even buy a new or second-hand car. The AA really can offer you everything you need.
http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp?database=B
Drive Alive - Route Planner
Driving holidays in Europe for the independent motorist. Ferries, hotels, holiday homes, camping.
http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/route_planner.php
Google Local
Find directions to local businesses and services.
http://www.google.co.uk/lochp?hl=en
Multimap - Route Planner
Multimap.com is Europe's most popular mapping web site, offering a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of the United Kingdom, Europe, and the US; road maps of the world; door-to-door travel directions; aerial photographs; and local information.
http://www.multimap.com/map/aproute.cgiinput_rt=aproute&startcountry=GB&endcountry=GB
The RAC Group - Route Planner
Six million RAC Members enjoy access to an enormous range of motoring products and services throughout their driving lives, ranging from the familiar and much appreciated roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown to continually updated legal and technical advice and up-to-the-minute travel information.
http://rp.rac.co.uk/routeplanner?advanced=true&fromcity=UK+town+%252F+postcode&tocity=UK+town+%252F+postcode
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Recover: Post theft
Recover: Post theft, help the police to locate the vehicle or identify parts if it has been 'broken'.
Tracking - allow police to locate vehicle (and poss. thieves). Various electronic devices can be hidden on your bike which allow the bike to be tracked if stolen.
Tagging - hidden marking e.g. transponders such as 'DataTag'.
Marking - obvious indelible marking of parts. This can be invisible marking such as UV-visible paint or 'Smartwater', or visible marking which can be done easily using letter stamps, or by scratching markings in to plastic panels (paint them with fluorescent paint as an extra deterent. If your bike has any 'distinguishing features', keep a note of them.
The majority of bikes are stolen from the rider's home - but that may not be the only place you park, so you may need to consider how portable your security choices are. The most crop-resistant chains are constructed from 16mm steel - but are not the lightest to carry with you. Try to remove the 'weakest link' from your security - there's little point in using a really strong chain and lock if the chain doesn't secure your bike to anything, or secures it to something which can easily be cropped instead.
Tracking - allow police to locate vehicle (and poss. thieves). Various electronic devices can be hidden on your bike which allow the bike to be tracked if stolen.
Tagging - hidden marking e.g. transponders such as 'DataTag'.
Marking - obvious indelible marking of parts. This can be invisible marking such as UV-visible paint or 'Smartwater', or visible marking which can be done easily using letter stamps, or by scratching markings in to plastic panels (paint them with fluorescent paint as an extra deterent. If your bike has any 'distinguishing features', keep a note of them.
The majority of bikes are stolen from the rider's home - but that may not be the only place you park, so you may need to consider how portable your security choices are. The most crop-resistant chains are constructed from 16mm steel - but are not the lightest to carry with you. Try to remove the 'weakest link' from your security - there's little point in using a really strong chain and lock if the chain doesn't secure your bike to anything, or secures it to something which can easily be cropped instead.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Notify: Use equipment which will attract attention - either to the intruder or to the theft.
Notify Use equipment which will attract attention - either to the intruder or to the theft.
Alarms can atract attention over the immediate area - but may be ignored. Some alarms have a 'pager' and give a remote warning of the theft, some dial your miobile phone. As with immobilisers, unsecured bikes can quickly be put in to vans for removal - which will dampen down much of an alarm's siren.
If you keep your bike in an outbuilding or shed there are options available:
With a mains electricity supply, alarms are available which will send a signal through the mains to sound a warning inside your home. Remember that mains lighting and tools could be a great help to a thief if you're unaware of their presence . . .
Alternatively, battery-powered baby monitors could be used in non-mains locations.
NB With anything that notifies you your bike is being tampered with, what will you do when you get the warning? Do you intend to tackle the thieves yourself before the police arrive?
.
Alarms can atract attention over the immediate area - but may be ignored. Some alarms have a 'pager' and give a remote warning of the theft, some dial your miobile phone. As with immobilisers, unsecured bikes can quickly be put in to vans for removal - which will dampen down much of an alarm's siren.
If you keep your bike in an outbuilding or shed there are options available:
With a mains electricity supply, alarms are available which will send a signal through the mains to sound a warning inside your home. Remember that mains lighting and tools could be a great help to a thief if you're unaware of their presence . . .
Alternatively, battery-powered baby monitors could be used in non-mains locations.
NB With anything that notifies you your bike is being tampered with, what will you do when you get the warning? Do you intend to tackle the thieves yourself before the police arrive?
.
Friday, 16 October 2009
Prevent - slow the thief
Prevent - slow the thief
Use devices which will cause the thief unacceptable delay, and ensure noisy 'breaking' methods required:
Lock - Disklock, chain, ground anchor/rail/other bike's chain (NB if your bike is in a wooden shed, how easy is it to remove any restraint or anchoring? Also, do you store all your tools in the same building with the secured bike?) 'Cable' locks are of little use as they can easily be cut, and light-weight chains can easily be cropped. Even substantial U-locks can be broken. Be wary of any cheap lock, or any lock which has plastic pieces on the housing, or which has cast sections - this can easily be shattered.
Immobilisers are fitted as standard to some bikes, and can be retro-fitted to others. They're an over-ride which stops the ignition from being hot-wired to be ridden away, but they won't stop a van being used to transprt a bike away.
Ground anchors are usually designed to be 'sunk' in to the ground and concreted in place. If you are unable to fix a ground anchor (perhaps in rented accomodation) a simple, cheap, option is the 'bucket-o-crete' - a cheap plastic storage crate filled with concrete and steel, and with a tube through which a heavy chain can be threaded.
.
Use devices which will cause the thief unacceptable delay, and ensure noisy 'breaking' methods required:
Lock - Disklock, chain, ground anchor/rail/other bike's chain (NB if your bike is in a wooden shed, how easy is it to remove any restraint or anchoring? Also, do you store all your tools in the same building with the secured bike?) 'Cable' locks are of little use as they can easily be cut, and light-weight chains can easily be cropped. Even substantial U-locks can be broken. Be wary of any cheap lock, or any lock which has plastic pieces on the housing, or which has cast sections - this can easily be shattered.
Immobilisers are fitted as standard to some bikes, and can be retro-fitted to others. They're an over-ride which stops the ignition from being hot-wired to be ridden away, but they won't stop a van being used to transprt a bike away.
Ground anchors are usually designed to be 'sunk' in to the ground and concreted in place. If you are unable to fix a ground anchor (perhaps in rented accomodation) a simple, cheap, option is the 'bucket-o-crete' - a cheap plastic storage crate filled with concrete and steel, and with a tube through which a heavy chain can be threaded.
.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Deter - stop the attempted theft before it’s started
Deter - stop the attempted theft before it’s started
Options include:
Apply visible markings so that the thief knows the bike will be more dificult to dispose of - even if broken to its component parts.
Keep the bike in a garage or shed. This means the thief can't see the bike or any additional security measures you use.
If you can't keep your bke in a building, consider using a cover to hide the bike from sight.
If possible, park in 'observed' area - overlooked by windows or CCTV
Use high-quality security equipment that a thief will recognise as difficult to remove
PIR-operated lights
Many vehicles are stolen from the owner's home after the keys have been used - sometime the house keys are used for access! Do you keep your keys (both main and spare sets) where they are easy to locate? A simple device used by many thieves is to 'fish' the keys through the house letterbox! Consider hiding keys, or using a key 'safe'. Also, consider keeping registration documents secure.
.
Options include:
Apply visible markings so that the thief knows the bike will be more dificult to dispose of - even if broken to its component parts.
Keep the bike in a garage or shed. This means the thief can't see the bike or any additional security measures you use.
If you can't keep your bke in a building, consider using a cover to hide the bike from sight.
If possible, park in 'observed' area - overlooked by windows or CCTV
Use high-quality security equipment that a thief will recognise as difficult to remove
PIR-operated lights
Many vehicles are stolen from the owner's home after the keys have been used - sometime the house keys are used for access! Do you keep your keys (both main and spare sets) where they are easy to locate? A simple device used by many thieves is to 'fish' the keys through the house letterbox! Consider hiding keys, or using a key 'safe'. Also, consider keeping registration documents secure.
.
Bike Security
Over the next four days, a set of four posts on the subject of bike security - although they're relevant to many other thievable things too! Originally written as a single article.
Four posts, each dealing with one of these aspects:
A four-point checklist allows a quick summary of your bike security:
Deter
Prevent
Notify
Recover
Deter - stop the attempted theft before it’s started
Prevent - slow the thief
Notify - Use equipment which will attract attention - either to the intruder or to the theft.
Recover - Post theft, help the police to locate the vehicle or identify parts if it has been 'broken'.
.
Four posts, each dealing with one of these aspects:
A four-point checklist allows a quick summary of your bike security:
Deter
Prevent
Notify
Recover
Deter - stop the attempted theft before it’s started
Prevent - slow the thief
Notify - Use equipment which will attract attention - either to the intruder or to the theft.
Recover - Post theft, help the police to locate the vehicle or identify parts if it has been 'broken'.
.
Friday, 25 September 2009
SIgns - Be Aware, Then Ignore!
Rider trainers spend a lot of time trying to get people to think about what can be seen, and a significant chunk more time trying to get riders to even look for the stuff in the first place!
But sometimes you just have to take things as a guide rather than an absolute.
Take this, for example:
Shaded, up in the trees, a road sign, clearly showing a 'One way' - so you could use either of the two lanes.
Exhibit 'B' M'lud:
Unfortunately, it was a quiet day, and I only just got the camera ready in time to catch the back-end of car heading left > right.
Yup, against the traffic sign . . .
For those who don't know the area (and there's no real reason why you should), this is the Park Way area, currently undergoing a massive development. Previously it had a one-way circulating around a parking area in the centre . . . but when that was closed off this sign was left behind!
Of course, even if there was a one-way still in place, that doesn't mean that traffic won't go the wrong way!
.
But sometimes you just have to take things as a guide rather than an absolute.
Take this, for example:
Shaded, up in the trees, a road sign, clearly showing a 'One way' - so you could use either of the two lanes.
Exhibit 'B' M'lud:
Unfortunately, it was a quiet day, and I only just got the camera ready in time to catch the back-end of car heading left > right.
Yup, against the traffic sign . . .
For those who don't know the area (and there's no real reason why you should), this is the Park Way area, currently undergoing a massive development. Previously it had a one-way circulating around a parking area in the centre . . . but when that was closed off this sign was left behind!
Of course, even if there was a one-way still in place, that doesn't mean that traffic won't go the wrong way!
.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Dog On A Bicycle
I'm horribly aware that I haven't posted anything here for a while, so as a special gift for those of you receiving this via RSS rather than ckicking a link hoping for something new . . .
. . . May I present . . .
Dog on a bicycle!
No reason for it. But since when has that mattered?
.
. . . May I present . . .
Dog on a bicycle!
No reason for it. But since when has that mattered?
.
Sunday, 12 July 2009
National Motorcycle Week 2009
Yes, it's:
National Motorcycle Week, 2009!
From 12th - 18th July 2009
With 'Ride to Work Day' on Weds. 15th July.
Bit of an unusual event for me, this; 'usual' RtWD was a ride to work - my usual transport. But this year I own a car, so have a choice!
More details here
.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Friday, 10 July 2009
I Have Seen . . .
Every now and again I'll post up an 'I have seen . . . ' thread.
Today is different.
My wife has seen . . .
. . . Someone asleep in what had been a queue of cars waiting at a railway level crossing. The barriers had lifted, the cars ahead moved off.
Drivers [irate, ones at that] behind were tooting.
.
Today is different.
My wife has seen . . .
. . . Someone asleep in what had been a queue of cars waiting at a railway level crossing. The barriers had lifted, the cars ahead moved off.
Drivers [irate, ones at that] behind were tooting.
.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Boris Johnson - Near Miss
No embedded code for this video - or rather, there is, but I don't want to log in to another site using my Blogger password to get it . . .
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4221699001?bctid=24043468001
Boris Johnson out around London town with his friends . . . having a toddle on their bicycles.
More:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23698233-details/Boris+Johnson%27s+near+miss+with+lorry/article.do
.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4221699001?bctid=24043468001
Boris Johnson out around London town with his friends . . . having a toddle on their bicycles.
More:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23698233-details/Boris+Johnson%27s+near+miss+with+lorry/article.do
.
Monday, 29 June 2009
'Blue Book' Roadcraft, and Hazards
Do you remember the old 'Blue Book' definition of 'hazards', from before DSA altered 'hazard' into 'ignore' and 'react' [to 'developing hazards'] for the hazard perception test?
"Anything which contains an element of actual or potential danger"
NB From memory, so humour me if it's slightly wrong.
And it went on to list:
What can be seen
What can't be seen
What may reasonably be expected to happen
So with that in mind, have a look at this picture:
OK, list of the hazards. Bit of help: no-one visible in the cars, no brake lights or exhaust smoke, etc. No-one on the pavements or nearby.
What can you see?
What can't you see?
What may you reasonably expect?
A little extra detail:
The photo was taken within a one-way system.
Q: So which way is the camera pointing? A: Correct direction of travel.
So why can you se the back of signs?
Yup, this is where the one-way ends. Note the signs warning drivers of two-way traffic . . . Nope, there aren't any.
Note the change in white line system . . . Nope, there aren't any.
I know the wheels of bureacracy turn slowly, but the hospital/Foundation's admin were aware of this in Feb. Which, perhaps, shows that signs aren't needed, because no-one's crashed yet.
Ah well, A&E is only a short ambulance ride away if needed.
.
"Anything which contains an element of actual or potential danger"
NB From memory, so humour me if it's slightly wrong.
And it went on to list:
What can be seen
What can't be seen
What may reasonably be expected to happen
So with that in mind, have a look at this picture:
OK, list of the hazards. Bit of help: no-one visible in the cars, no brake lights or exhaust smoke, etc. No-one on the pavements or nearby.
What can you see?
What can't you see?
What may you reasonably expect?
A little extra detail:
The photo was taken within a one-way system.
Q: So which way is the camera pointing? A: Correct direction of travel.
So why can you se the back of signs?
Yup, this is where the one-way ends. Note the signs warning drivers of two-way traffic . . . Nope, there aren't any.
Note the change in white line system . . . Nope, there aren't any.
I know the wheels of bureacracy turn slowly, but the hospital/Foundation's admin were aware of this in Feb. Which, perhaps, shows that signs aren't needed, because no-one's crashed yet.
Ah well, A&E is only a short ambulance ride away if needed.
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Sunday, 28 June 2009
BMW GS Power Boost
As I closed up to the bike park . . . my eyes behold an eerie sight . . .
A rocket-assisted BMW GS!
What was this machine? Had Bond's 'Q' allowed this bike to escape onto Berkshire's roads?
No.
It was a folding ladder!
But I wasn't the only person fooled - the next bloke along had though exactly the same!
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Saturday, 27 June 2009
Going Feral
It's long been known that traffic cones and trolleys, when able to escape from their usual habitats, will go feral.
But now, recently sighted in Newbury . . . the two are inter-breeding! What mule-equivalent will result from this union?
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Friday, 26 June 2009
Discoveries shed new light on how the brain processes what the eye sees
Researchers at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) at Rutgers University in Newark have identified the need to develop a new framework for understanding "perceptual stability" and how we see the world with their discovery that visual input obtained during eye movements is being processed by the brain but blocked from awareness.
The process of seeing requires the eyes to move so light can hit the photoreceptors at the center of each retina, which then pass that information to the brain. If we were cognizant of the stimulus that passes before the eyes during the two to three times they move every second, however, vision would consist of a series of sensations of rapid motion rather than a stable perception of the world. To achieve perceptual stability, current theory has held that visual information gained during an eye movement is eliminated, as if cut off by a camera's shutter, and removed from processing.
As published in Current Biology (http://www.cell.com/current-biology), significant new research conducted by assistant professor Bart Krekelberg and post-doctoral researcher Tamara L. Watson now shows that theory of saccadic suppression is incorrect and what the brain is doing instead is processing information gained during eye movement but blocking it from being reported.
"Rather than completely suppressing inputs during eye movements, the brain is processing that as information it does not need to report back to awareness," says Krekelberg.
The findings were obtained by making use of a visual illusion in which the presentation of a horizontal line makes a subsequent circle look like an ellipse. In Watson and Krekelberg's study, the line was presented to research participants immediately before an eye movement. Under current theory, the line would be eliminated from visual processing and one would expect participants to report a subsequently presented circle to look like a circle. While the research participants did not recall seeing the line, the image they reported seeing was not a circle but rather an ellipse. In other words, the participants experienced the illusion, even though they were not aware of the line that causes the illusion.
"Although they did not recall seeing the line, the brain apparently did process the line," says Watson. "What this shows is that perceptual stability is not accomplished by suppressing stimuli encountered during an eye movement, or removing them from processing, but rather that those signals are prevented from reaching awareness at a later stage of processing. Some suppression is also happening, but suppression is not enough to explain perceptual stability; it is not the whole story."
One reason why the brain does not discard visual input during eye movements could be that it provides useful information about eye movements. "We speculate that the visual signals generated by eye movement may be important for determining how much and how fast the eye moved so the brain can maintain perceptual stability," says Watson. "It may be that these signals are useful for improving perceptual stability as long as they do not enter into awareness."
The findings also show that a new approach is needed to gain additional understanding into the cognitive and neural functions involved in visual processing and perceptual stability. Until now, research largely has focused on pinpointing those areas of the brain that show lower activity during an eye movement. "What we are seeing now is that things are much more complex than we suspected," says Krekelberg. "We shouldn't just be looking at areas of reduced activity in the brain during eye movement, but for areas that may change their processing to make use of the input that arises during eye movements."
Providing a better understanding of those changes in processing could pave the way for earlier detection and more effective treatments for those who suffer from deficits associated with eye movements. For example, schizophrenic patients sometimes report a lack of perceptual stability. And while dyslexia traditionally has been interpreted as a deficit in language development, it also has been found to be associated with deficits in the control of eye movements.
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news163177022.html
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Good Teaching
Good teaching (or training, if you prefer) often boils down to the same format whatever the context.
West Berkshire Council have just prodiced an excellent DVD for helping children with autism, particularly during the transition to secondary school. The DVD was made with help from several groups and agencies, including the famous Priors Court School.
To accompany the DVD, there's a credit card-sized concertina prompt sheet.
Awareness
Understanding
Tolerance
Interaction
Socialisation
Making School Work
On one side.
On the other (precid):
Communication - keep language simple
Social Understanding - unwritten social rules
Organisation - What, where, in what Order, what Next
Coping with Change - prepare in advance
Homework - what, how long
Now I'd say that was all 'good teaching' - and much of that list applies to rider training asmuch as anything else!
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West Berkshire Council have just prodiced an excellent DVD for helping children with autism, particularly during the transition to secondary school. The DVD was made with help from several groups and agencies, including the famous Priors Court School.
To accompany the DVD, there's a credit card-sized concertina prompt sheet.
Awareness
Understanding
Tolerance
Interaction
Socialisation
Making School Work
On one side.
On the other (precid):
Communication - keep language simple
Social Understanding - unwritten social rules
Organisation - What, where, in what Order, what Next
Coping with Change - prepare in advance
Homework - what, how long
Now I'd say that was all 'good teaching' - and much of that list applies to rider training asmuch as anything else!
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Thursday, 25 June 2009
Looking through rose-tinted specs
People who wear rose-colored glasses see more, study shows
A University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that our mood literally changes the way our visual system filters our perceptual experience suggesting that seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses is more biological reality than metaphor.
"Good and bad moods literally change the way our visual cortex operates and how we see," says Adam Anderson, a U of T professor of psychology. "Specifically our study shows that when in a positive mood, our visual cortex takes in more information, while negative moods result in tunnel vision. The study appears today in the Journal of Neuroscience at www.jneurosci.org.
The U of T team used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how our visual cortex processes sensory information when in good, bad, and neutral moods. They found that donning the rose-coloured glasses of a good mood is less about the colour and more about the expansiveness of the view.
The researchers first showed subjects a series images designed to generate a good, bad or neutral mood. Subjects were then shown a composite image, featuring a face in the centre, surrounded by "place" images, such as a house. To focus their attention on the central image, subjects were asked to identify the gender of the person's face. When in a bad mood, the subjects did not process the images of places in the surrounding background. However, when viewing the same images in a good mood, they actually took in more information -- they saw the central image of the face as well as the surrounding pictures of houses. The discovery came from looking at specific parts of the brain -- the parahippocampal "place area" -- that are known to process places and how this area relates to primary visual cortical responses, the first part of the cortex related to vision.
"Under positive moods, people may process a greater number of objects in their environment, which sounds like a good thing, but it also can result in distraction," says Taylor Schmitz, a graduate student of Anderson's and lead author of the study. "Good moods enhance the literal size of the window through which we see the world. The upside of this is that we can see things from a more global, or integrative perspective. The downside is that this can lead to distraction on critical tasks that require narrow focus, such as operating dangerous machinery or airport screening of passenger baggage. Bad moods, on the other hand, may keep us more narrowly focused, preventing us from integrating information outside of our direct attentional focus."
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news163244296.html
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A University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that our mood literally changes the way our visual system filters our perceptual experience suggesting that seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses is more biological reality than metaphor.
"Good and bad moods literally change the way our visual cortex operates and how we see," says Adam Anderson, a U of T professor of psychology. "Specifically our study shows that when in a positive mood, our visual cortex takes in more information, while negative moods result in tunnel vision. The study appears today in the Journal of Neuroscience at www.jneurosci.org.
The U of T team used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how our visual cortex processes sensory information when in good, bad, and neutral moods. They found that donning the rose-coloured glasses of a good mood is less about the colour and more about the expansiveness of the view.
The researchers first showed subjects a series images designed to generate a good, bad or neutral mood. Subjects were then shown a composite image, featuring a face in the centre, surrounded by "place" images, such as a house. To focus their attention on the central image, subjects were asked to identify the gender of the person's face. When in a bad mood, the subjects did not process the images of places in the surrounding background. However, when viewing the same images in a good mood, they actually took in more information -- they saw the central image of the face as well as the surrounding pictures of houses. The discovery came from looking at specific parts of the brain -- the parahippocampal "place area" -- that are known to process places and how this area relates to primary visual cortical responses, the first part of the cortex related to vision.
"Under positive moods, people may process a greater number of objects in their environment, which sounds like a good thing, but it also can result in distraction," says Taylor Schmitz, a graduate student of Anderson's and lead author of the study. "Good moods enhance the literal size of the window through which we see the world. The upside of this is that we can see things from a more global, or integrative perspective. The downside is that this can lead to distraction on critical tasks that require narrow focus, such as operating dangerous machinery or airport screening of passenger baggage. Bad moods, on the other hand, may keep us more narrowly focused, preventing us from integrating information outside of our direct attentional focus."
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news163244296.html
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Out of sight, out of mind?
Out of sight, out of mind? Not really
By playing a trick on the brain, neuroscientists at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research have discovered one way that humans naturally recognize objects.
The work, reported in the Aug. 7 online issue of Nature Neuroscience, may have implications for artificial vision systems and provide insight into problems in visual recognition that are often associated with dyslexia and autism.
"We all have an uncanny ability to recognize familiar objects and faces even though we never see the same image on our eye twice," said James DiCarlo, head of the research team and an assistant professor in MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS). "For example, even when viewing a stable scene, the image striking our eyes changes up to 200 times a minute-each time our eyes move. Somehow the brain recognizes commonalities among the ever-changing stream of images coming into our eyes." Instead of seeing the world as if in strobe light with objects jumping in and out of existence, we perceive objects to be stable.
Although one theory holds that this ability is hardwired in the brain, the current study supports the opposing hypothesis, indicating that the brain learns to recognize objects by merging images produced while our eyes explore the visual world.
"Our study focused on how eye movements might contribute to our effortless ability to recognize objects at different locations," DiCarlo said. "Because each eye movement rapidly brings each object from one location on our eye to another, we hypothesized that the movements help us learn to recognize an object, regardless of its location." In other words, these movements might enable the brain to learn that Jane is still Jane even when we are not looking directly at her.
"To test this hypothesis, we played a trick on the brain," explained lead author David Cox, a BCS graduate student. "We created an artificial visual world where objects on a computer screen did not stay the same, but were replaced by another object while the subjects' eyes were moving."
Subjects were shown one object in their peripheral vision. While they were moving their eyes to focus directly on that object, the researchers substituted a slightly different object.
Because the brain is effectively blind during the one-twentieth of a second of each eye movement, subjects could not see the object substitutions being made and were completely unaware that the altered visual world behaved any differently than the real world.
But their brains detected the difference.
In tests following one or two hours of exposure to the altered world, subjects confused objects that had been swapped-in reliable and predictable ways. Subjects judged different objects to be the same object at different locations, as if their brains used their eye movements to learn what images belong together to make an "object."
This study provides more evidence of the brain's continuing plasticity, or adaptability, and the role of experience in forming neural circuits for tasks as seemingly simple as recognizing objects in different locations.
"The real world has structure, and the brain works by discovering that structure. It makes sense that the brain adapts to the external reality, even if we manipulate it," DiCarlo said.
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news5979.html
.
By playing a trick on the brain, neuroscientists at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research have discovered one way that humans naturally recognize objects.
The work, reported in the Aug. 7 online issue of Nature Neuroscience, may have implications for artificial vision systems and provide insight into problems in visual recognition that are often associated with dyslexia and autism.
"We all have an uncanny ability to recognize familiar objects and faces even though we never see the same image on our eye twice," said James DiCarlo, head of the research team and an assistant professor in MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS). "For example, even when viewing a stable scene, the image striking our eyes changes up to 200 times a minute-each time our eyes move. Somehow the brain recognizes commonalities among the ever-changing stream of images coming into our eyes." Instead of seeing the world as if in strobe light with objects jumping in and out of existence, we perceive objects to be stable.
Although one theory holds that this ability is hardwired in the brain, the current study supports the opposing hypothesis, indicating that the brain learns to recognize objects by merging images produced while our eyes explore the visual world.
"Our study focused on how eye movements might contribute to our effortless ability to recognize objects at different locations," DiCarlo said. "Because each eye movement rapidly brings each object from one location on our eye to another, we hypothesized that the movements help us learn to recognize an object, regardless of its location." In other words, these movements might enable the brain to learn that Jane is still Jane even when we are not looking directly at her.
"To test this hypothesis, we played a trick on the brain," explained lead author David Cox, a BCS graduate student. "We created an artificial visual world where objects on a computer screen did not stay the same, but were replaced by another object while the subjects' eyes were moving."
Subjects were shown one object in their peripheral vision. While they were moving their eyes to focus directly on that object, the researchers substituted a slightly different object.
Because the brain is effectively blind during the one-twentieth of a second of each eye movement, subjects could not see the object substitutions being made and were completely unaware that the altered visual world behaved any differently than the real world.
But their brains detected the difference.
In tests following one or two hours of exposure to the altered world, subjects confused objects that had been swapped-in reliable and predictable ways. Subjects judged different objects to be the same object at different locations, as if their brains used their eye movements to learn what images belong together to make an "object."
This study provides more evidence of the brain's continuing plasticity, or adaptability, and the role of experience in forming neural circuits for tasks as seemingly simple as recognizing objects in different locations.
"The real world has structure, and the brain works by discovering that structure. It makes sense that the brain adapts to the external reality, even if we manipulate it," DiCarlo said.
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news5979.html
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BMW Indicators
I've been riding BMWs since my mid-20s . . . some sort of premature ageing, I suppose ;)
First an R65, then R100RT, before I moved onto the K bikes (100RT, 100LT, 100RT, 75RT), then an R850RT. I know what I like, OK? :)
I also like the flappy paddle, Lego-look, indicator switches, and it was with some dismay that I saw the bikes at shows last year with a 'normal' slidey, one-part, indicator switch for the 2009 range of bikes.
And it was with some amusement that I read today's MCN, about BMW quality control and poor design - giving the new indicator switch as a typical example of poor design!
He-He. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
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First an R65, then R100RT, before I moved onto the K bikes (100RT, 100LT, 100RT, 75RT), then an R850RT. I know what I like, OK? :)
I also like the flappy paddle, Lego-look, indicator switches, and it was with some dismay that I saw the bikes at shows last year with a 'normal' slidey, one-part, indicator switch for the 2009 range of bikes.
And it was with some amusement that I read today's MCN, about BMW quality control and poor design - giving the new indicator switch as a typical example of poor design!
He-He. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Where's Wally? [or Where's Waldo?]
Tiny eye motions help us find where Waldo is
To recognize faces in a crowd, the brain employs tiny eye movements called saccades and microsaccades to help us search for objects of interest. While researchers know that these movements are involuntary and vary in magnitude, they still do not fully understand how saccades and microsaccades work.
Now, a recent study by researchers at the Barrow Neurological Institute led by Susana Martinez-Conde has taken an important step toward understanding how the brain uses saccades and microsaccades in order to "sharpen" a scene. Previously, it has been unclear whether saccades and microsaccades have inherent differences or not. Here, the researchers found that both movements are likely generated by the same neural mechanism in the brain's strategy for optimal visual sampling.
In experiments, participants viewed various visual scenes ranging from blank images to complex pages of the Where's Waldo? books by Martin Handford. Then, the researchers measured the amount of saccades and microsaccades produced by the eyes when participants were either fixating on a specific point in an image or freely viewing the entire image.
Because microsaccades are operationally defined as movements that occur when fixating on a scene, the researchers looked for the same small magnitude of these movements when participants were freely viewing the scene. The researchers defined saccadic movements relative to microsaccades, with saccades having higher magnitudes than microsaccades.
The results showed that, when participants were freely viewing images, they produced more microsaccades when looking at the complex scenes than when viewing the blank and duller scenes. Specifically, more microsaccades occurred when participants were viewing an object of interest, such as when they found Waldo. Since participants stared longer at fixed points in the blank scenes than in the Waldo scenes, the increase in microsaccades could not be attributed to viewers fixating on Waldo for long times.
Instead, as the scientists explained, these results may support the proposal that microsaccades significantly re-sharpen an image and improve spatial resolution, as suggested in a recent study. While microsaccades occurred when participants viewed target objects, saccades occurred more often when participants freely viewed complex images as a whole. But rather than differentiating between microsaccades and saccades, the researchers suggested that both movements belong on a continuum of eye movements, which may together reflect an optimal sampling method by which the brain discretely acquires visual information.
The researchers hope that these findings may help understand the neural mechanisms underlying search behavior, both in the normal brain and in patients with eye movement deficits. In addition, understanding saccades and microsaccades could also help researchers design future neural prosthetics for patients with brain damage, as well as help to create intelligent machines that can see as well as humans.
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news154327802.html
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HGVs - the 'No Zone'
The California DMV have a series of videos on Youtube, including this one on the 'No Zone':
There's another: 'Sharing the road with motorcyclists' - but they've disabled embedding. Have a URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxxG2guvYLw&feature=channel
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There's another: 'Sharing the road with motorcyclists' - but they've disabled embedding. Have a URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxxG2guvYLw&feature=channel
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Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Visual Search
Study reveals we seek new targets during visual search, not during other visual behaviors
When we look at a scene in front of us, we need to focus on the important items and be able to ignore distracting elements. Studies have suggested that inhibition of return (in which our attention is less likely to return to objects we've already viewed) helps make visual search more efficient - when searching a scene to find an object, we have a bias toward inspecting new regions of a scene, and we avoid looking for the object in already searched areas. Psychologists Michael D. Dodd from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Stefan Van der Stigchel of Utrecht University, and Andrew Hollingworth from the University of Iowa examined if inhibition of return is specific for visual search or if it applies more generally in visual behavior.
The researchers tracked eye movements of volunteers as they viewed various scenes and recorded the location where the eyes were focused (i.e., fixated) at each moment. The volunteers were divided into four groups, with each group receiving different instructions for scene viewing. They were told to search the scenes for a specific target, memorize each scene, rate how pleasant the scenes were, or free-view the scenes (i.e., view the scenes however they wanted). During viewing, a target appeared in the scene, and participants shifted their eyes as quickly as possible to the target. The target either appeared in an old location (previously fixated by the eyes) or a new location (not yet fixated).
The results, reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, indicate that inhibition of return occurs during visual search tasks, but not during other visual tasks. That is, the volunteers in the search group were slower to shift their eyes to previously fixated locations than to new locations, consistent with earlier findings of inhibition of return. However, volunteers from the other three groups exhibited the opposite pattern of eye movements: They were faster to shift their eyes to previously fixated locations than to new locations. The authors suggest that this "facilitation of return" effect may be "the default setting of the visual system, with inhibition of return representing an exception implemented during visual search."
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news158943465.html
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When we look at a scene in front of us, we need to focus on the important items and be able to ignore distracting elements. Studies have suggested that inhibition of return (in which our attention is less likely to return to objects we've already viewed) helps make visual search more efficient - when searching a scene to find an object, we have a bias toward inspecting new regions of a scene, and we avoid looking for the object in already searched areas. Psychologists Michael D. Dodd from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Stefan Van der Stigchel of Utrecht University, and Andrew Hollingworth from the University of Iowa examined if inhibition of return is specific for visual search or if it applies more generally in visual behavior.
The researchers tracked eye movements of volunteers as they viewed various scenes and recorded the location where the eyes were focused (i.e., fixated) at each moment. The volunteers were divided into four groups, with each group receiving different instructions for scene viewing. They were told to search the scenes for a specific target, memorize each scene, rate how pleasant the scenes were, or free-view the scenes (i.e., view the scenes however they wanted). During viewing, a target appeared in the scene, and participants shifted their eyes as quickly as possible to the target. The target either appeared in an old location (previously fixated by the eyes) or a new location (not yet fixated).
The results, reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, indicate that inhibition of return occurs during visual search tasks, but not during other visual tasks. That is, the volunteers in the search group were slower to shift their eyes to previously fixated locations than to new locations, consistent with earlier findings of inhibition of return. However, volunteers from the other three groups exhibited the opposite pattern of eye movements: They were faster to shift their eyes to previously fixated locations than to new locations. The authors suggest that this "facilitation of return" effect may be "the default setting of the visual system, with inhibition of return representing an exception implemented during visual search."
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news158943465.html
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Vision and Perception Posts
If you're a regular reader, you may have seen several posts around the theme of vision and perception. If you're not and haven't, I'll leave you to read through the archives as well as read the next few posts.
While looking for something totally - almost, anyway - different, I happened across a site full of news links and short science/vision news.
Posting once, with text and links together won't make them easy to read, so I'll post them over the next few days.
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While looking for something totally - almost, anyway - different, I happened across a site full of news links and short science/vision news.
Posting once, with text and links together won't make them easy to read, so I'll post them over the next few days.
.
Search
Study discovers clues into how eyes search
Like the robots in the "Terminator" movies, our eyes move methodically through a scene when seeking out an object. If we don't immediately find what we're searching for, our attention leaves the already-scanned area behind and moves on to new, unexplored regions of a scene, still seeking the target.
"Inhibition of return" -- in which our attention rarely or slowly returns to objects we've already looked at -- is what many believe makes visual search so efficient. But how do our eyes behave when we're not specifically hunting for something? A University of Nebraska-Lincoln-led research team recently found clues suggesting our vision, unlike those "Terminator" machines, can lock in on certain targets more quickly if they're not in search mode.
Mike Dodd, a UNL professor of psychology, worked with researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the University of Iowa in tracking eye movements as subjects viewed various scenes. Using high-tech equipment that followed eye movements in real time, researchers recorded where their subjects' attention was focused at each moment.
The participants were divided into four groups: One searched scenes for a specific target; one memorized each scene; one rated how pleasant the scenes were; and one was told to "free-view" the scenes -- to look anywhere they liked.
When a target would appear in the participants' line of sight -- either in an old location or in a spot where their eyes had yet to focus upon -- all four groups were instructed shift their eyes to the target. But the study's findings, published this month in Psychological Science, suggest that "inhibition of return" happens during visual search and not during other visual tasks.
That is, those in the group told to search for a specific object were slower to shift their eyes back to areas they had already examined. Those in the other three groups, however, had the opposite reaction. They shifted their eyes back much faster to areas they had already looked at than to new locations.
"This was surprising because people have often talked about inhibition of return being the default setting for attention," Dodd said. "Our results indicate that the exact opposite is true. People are actually faster to go back to previously viewed locations when they are doing anything other than search."
The practical importance of knowing how attention behaves is key to thinking about how to arrange the world around us. Simple applications could mean rethinking how to arrange maps, where to place street signs, or how to configure warning lights in cars or airplanes, he said. The information could also be applied to the design of vehicles and equipment to make them as user-friendly as possible.
"Anything we know about visual attention in the big picture is useful, making our findings important since it is in direct opposition to how people usually think attention works in most settings," Dodd said
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news164469120.html
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Like the robots in the "Terminator" movies, our eyes move methodically through a scene when seeking out an object. If we don't immediately find what we're searching for, our attention leaves the already-scanned area behind and moves on to new, unexplored regions of a scene, still seeking the target.
"Inhibition of return" -- in which our attention rarely or slowly returns to objects we've already looked at -- is what many believe makes visual search so efficient. But how do our eyes behave when we're not specifically hunting for something? A University of Nebraska-Lincoln-led research team recently found clues suggesting our vision, unlike those "Terminator" machines, can lock in on certain targets more quickly if they're not in search mode.
Mike Dodd, a UNL professor of psychology, worked with researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the University of Iowa in tracking eye movements as subjects viewed various scenes. Using high-tech equipment that followed eye movements in real time, researchers recorded where their subjects' attention was focused at each moment.
The participants were divided into four groups: One searched scenes for a specific target; one memorized each scene; one rated how pleasant the scenes were; and one was told to "free-view" the scenes -- to look anywhere they liked.
When a target would appear in the participants' line of sight -- either in an old location or in a spot where their eyes had yet to focus upon -- all four groups were instructed shift their eyes to the target. But the study's findings, published this month in Psychological Science, suggest that "inhibition of return" happens during visual search and not during other visual tasks.
That is, those in the group told to search for a specific object were slower to shift their eyes back to areas they had already examined. Those in the other three groups, however, had the opposite reaction. They shifted their eyes back much faster to areas they had already looked at than to new locations.
"This was surprising because people have often talked about inhibition of return being the default setting for attention," Dodd said. "Our results indicate that the exact opposite is true. People are actually faster to go back to previously viewed locations when they are doing anything other than search."
The practical importance of knowing how attention behaves is key to thinking about how to arrange the world around us. Simple applications could mean rethinking how to arrange maps, where to place street signs, or how to configure warning lights in cars or airplanes, he said. The information could also be applied to the design of vehicles and equipment to make them as user-friendly as possible.
"Anything we know about visual attention in the big picture is useful, making our findings important since it is in direct opposition to how people usually think attention works in most settings," Dodd said
From:
http://www.physorg.com/news164469120.html
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Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Motorcycle 'Safety' Web Sites
Did I say that one day I'll put a list of sites together?
Well, no real need - someone's already done it.
'Someone' is the IHIE - the Institue of incorporated Highway Engineers. And on a separate site they provide the IHIE Guidelines for Motorcycling, and a lot more information.
There's also a good summary of some of the varied bike safety campaigns and web sites that of been in place over the last few years.
More here.
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Well, no real need - someone's already done it.
'Someone' is the IHIE - the Institue of incorporated Highway Engineers. And on a separate site they provide the IHIE Guidelines for Motorcycling, and a lot more information.
There's also a good summary of some of the varied bike safety campaigns and web sites that of been in place over the last few years.
More here.
.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Bare Bones
One day I'll get around to compiling a list of all the various rider-oriented web sites.
Until then, here's Bare Bones.
Be warned: *Damage limitation: Be aware, graphic images are included on this website
The site is mainly about preventing injury. Not directly by preventing crashes, but by encouraging younger riders to be aware of the potential for injury from bike crashes.
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Saturday, 13 June 2009
Conspicuous, Hi-Viz, Clothing Works!
Well I certainly looked twice!
At the forefront of trends, Managing Director of Fashion Systems, Freddie Magumba brings a fresh approach to clothing in the parking industry.
Inspired by Vivienne Westwood, Freddie has designed a frock using the latest materials to highlight his creative approach to uniform design. Flourescents are definitely in this year! But don’t worry, before you start imagining traffic wardens doing a Beckham in headbands and sarongs, Fashion Systems are just making a point – uniforms don’t have to be boring and a truly creative approach can have huge impact on Parking Enforcement.
A recent re-design of Westminster City Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers’ uniform had a dramatic effect on reducing verbal abuse and attacks on staff – a 75% drop. Fashion Systems created a more casual outfit incorporating a baseball style cap and a bomber-style blouson jacket with reflective stripes. Westminster was the first council in the UK to make this bold move which has prompted other councils to review their uniforms.
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Friday, 12 June 2009
Shakespeare on Road Safety
Like most things, sooner or later there's a quote from the Bard which fits the bill!
In his book 'Traffic Safety and the Driver', Leonard Evans writes about human behaviour, that we change our response according to the preceived probability and severity of harm.
He continues: "We walk more carefully when the ground is wet or icy than when it is dry; we walk more carefully on rough surfaces when barefoot than when wearing shoes. A warrior may accept a greater risk of being struck by a weapon than one not so clad, and so on. Shakespeare writes, "Best safety lies in fear" [Hamlet., Act I, Scene 3]."
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In his book 'Traffic Safety and the Driver', Leonard Evans writes about human behaviour, that we change our response according to the preceived probability and severity of harm.
He continues: "We walk more carefully when the ground is wet or icy than when it is dry; we walk more carefully on rough surfaces when barefoot than when wearing shoes. A warrior may accept a greater risk of being struck by a weapon than one not so clad, and so on. Shakespeare writes, "Best safety lies in fear" [Hamlet., Act I, Scene 3]."
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Advanced Driver TRAINing?
From BBC News
A drunk woman who drove almost half a mile along railway tracks before her car broke down has been spared jail.
Alcoholic Karen Angus had downed wine and taken anti-depressants before she somehow turned on to the tracks at a Metro crossing in Fawdon, Newcastle.
The mother-of-three said she could not remember driving and, when arrested, told police she was having a "bad day".
Angus, 40, who admitted endangering rail travellers, was given a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years.
On 24 February, she was spotted by the driver of a Metro train carrying 20 passengers on the opposite side of the tracks, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Debbie Breen said: "At about 11pm the Metro driver Alistair Joel saw headlights appear on the other side of the track.
"He slowed down and saw there was a motor vehicle on the track and applied the emergency brakes."
The judge told Angus she was lucky to be alive
The driver walked down the track to the car, where Angus wound down the window and told him: "I'm an alcoholic, My car won't start."
Judge David Wood also gave Angus a 12-month supervision order and banned her from driving for three years.
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Thursday, 11 June 2009
Training Videos from Around the World
Have we had many British videos featuring police training, riding and driving?
Let's have a couple:
This is segment one from the Fuel Show 12/17/06. In the News segment we look at the UK police at Volvo driving school.
Advanced Motorcycle Riding with Mike Waite: Ex-Police Motorcycle Instructor
Produced for Devon & Cornwall Police as part of a driver safety campaign, this promo puts you right alongside a police motorcyclist attending a 999 call.
The International police rally and Pride instructor Gordon KEMP
(Listen to the 'commentary')
This is EDUCATIONAL footage I found from a Bikeafe video 1999. It features a Police motorcyclist from Thames Valley, filmed from a helicopter and commentary put on afterwards. Great clip.
Features the late Phil Curtis
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Let's have a couple:
This is segment one from the Fuel Show 12/17/06. In the News segment we look at the UK police at Volvo driving school.
Advanced Motorcycle Riding with Mike Waite: Ex-Police Motorcycle Instructor
Produced for Devon & Cornwall Police as part of a driver safety campaign, this promo puts you right alongside a police motorcyclist attending a 999 call.
The International police rally and Pride instructor Gordon KEMP
(Listen to the 'commentary')
This is EDUCATIONAL footage I found from a Bikeafe video 1999. It features a Police motorcyclist from Thames Valley, filmed from a helicopter and commentary put on afterwards. Great clip.
Features the late Phil Curtis
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Wednesday, 10 June 2009
"Wot'll It Do, Mister?"
The question regularly asked by kids, as they stare at your bike's speedo, blissfully ignorant that the manufacturers have optimistically given your bike a speedo that potentially reads far faster than the bike will ever go.
But park either of this machines, and you'll get other riders asking "What the hell is that?"
While looking at the Lucky 13 cartoons, I followed a 'news' link on the ACEM site.
YAMAHA FC Dii fuel cell prototype
YAMAHA's 4 wheel concept bike
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But park either of this machines, and you'll get other riders asking "What the hell is that?"
While looking at the Lucky 13 cartoons, I followed a 'news' link on the ACEM site.
YAMAHA FC Dii fuel cell prototype
YAMAHA's 4 wheel concept bike
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Monday, 8 June 2009
Lucky 13
Quick reminder!
That cheerful chap 'Lucky 13' is back again, ACEM have just published the latest in the series of cartoons, all (so far) available here.
In case you wondered - I hadn't a clue - ACEM is:
ACEM, the Motorcycle Industry in Europe, is the professional body representing the interests and combined skills of 11 powered two wheelers (PTWs) manufacturers producing a total of 24 motorcycle and moped brands, and 15 national associations out of 13 European countries, representing a turn-over of €10bn and guaranteeing jobs to over 200.000 people.
The product range goes from small 50cc town vehicles, up to motorcycles of 1000cc and over. Our products are divided into different segments such as moped, scooter, super-sport, touring, commuter, custom, traditional and off-road bikes.
ACEM members are responsible for 90% of the European production which touched the 2.5 million units landmark at the end of 2007.
PTW sector represents an added value of more than 1.5 bn EURO per year, of which ACEM members are responsible for 90% of the total production and up to 95% of the total market in Europe.
ACEM was created in 1994 by the merger of two Associations of manufacturers of motorised two-wheelers, namely:
• COLIMO (Comité de Liaison de l'Industrie du Motocycle) established in 1962 and composed of eight national associations;
• ACEM (Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motocycles) founded in 1990 by the eight main European companies in the field.
Upon its creation, the manufacturers of motorcycles in Europe decided to maintain the name ACEM as a sign of continuity of their presence in Brussels, whose legal identity is Groupement Européen d'Interêt Economique according to European law.
The role of ACEM has expanded with the development of importance of European legislation and activities within all member countries. Therefore it is essential for ACEM to have a broad view of the complex economy, social, political, technical and legal issues surrounding European integration, regulation, harmonisation and trade. All these issues represent a great challenge for the motorcycle industry.
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Safety Video
Another video from the people who brought you the motorcycle safety video which used the psychological phenomenon of 'looming', and the 'time to arrival' illusion.
This one features 'change blindness'. Wikipedia tells us that . . .
In visual perception, change blindness is the phenomenon that occurs when a person viewing a visual scene apparently fails to detect large changes in the scene. For change blindness to occur, the change in the scene typically has to coincide with some visual disruption such as a saccade (eye movement) or a brief obscuration of the observed scene or image. When looking at still images, a viewer can experience change blindness if part of the image changes.
'Saccades' have been mentioned in a previous post here. Simply (ie 'in a a way I understand it'), your brain doesn't 'like' not having clear things to see, so if you're blinking, or your eyes are moving, or you have a brain injury which damages part of your visual field, then your brain will fill the gap.
Try another.
As much as we riding instructors bang on about 'improving observation', you simply can't see - and remember - everything. So the skill is in seeing the important stuff.
More:
When Good Observers Go Bad: Change Blindness, Inattentional Blindness, and Visual Experience
Rensink, Ronald A. (2000)
Download the pdf here
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Request For Help
I've been contacted by Sandra Woodjetts at the Transport Research Laboratory (Crowthorne, Berkshire, RG40 3GA). They need motorcyclists (and cyclists) for some track trials.
They're on the weekends of 11th & 12th, and 18th & 19th July.
Food & drinks provided
£35 paid for attendance
£10 fuel allowance (for motorcyclists)
interested?
Sandra Woodjetts:
swoodjetts @ trl.co.uk
01344 770721
They're on the weekends of 11th & 12th, and 18th & 19th July.
Food & drinks provided
£35 paid for attendance
£10 fuel allowance (for motorcyclists)
interested?
Sandra Woodjetts:
swoodjetts @ trl.co.uk
01344 770721
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Motorcycle Police Around The World
Continuing the random series of 'motorcycle police around the World' videos, here's the Turkish 'Dolphins' display team:
Interestingly, from UK 'historic' point of view, before bike-mounted paramedic services started, there was a plan in London to have paramedics riding pillion on bikes ridden by ex-despatch riders. This plan, in about 1989, was known as the 'Dolphin Project'.
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Interestingly, from UK 'historic' point of view, before bike-mounted paramedic services started, there was a plan in London to have paramedics riding pillion on bikes ridden by ex-despatch riders. This plan, in about 1989, was known as the 'Dolphin Project'.
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Saturday, 6 June 2009
Casualties . . .
There's a letter in the latest BMF 'Motorcycle Rider' magazine, from someone concerned about the proliferation of signs, "X Casualties on this route' etc.
The writer asks whether they're beneficial, and contrasts the benefit with the need to take your eye off the road to read them! He also asks whether they'll be updated?
I'm not sure about the benefits of them, many drivers have trouble with the current level of signs, without giving them more to ignore!
But a few days ago I was driving along the A595 in Cumbria, at Yeorton Brow, close to Sellafield, no, hang on, 'Windscale' . . . er . . . no 'Seascale' - well, whatever it's called - and saw a sign which stopped me in my tracks. Not literally, of course. But it had the stark message - which by the time I'd read most of it I'd mentally gone back to the top to check and remember the figure, so I don't know the timescale - of 1245 casulaties.
Yup: 1,245 casualties on that stretch of road. Now, I'm assuming that doesn't mean animal roadkill (especially if the rare red squirels which inhabit the area) and I don't know the length of the stretch involved, or how many fatals, or serious, or minor casualties, or over what timespan.
But it's still a lot!
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