MOTORISTS pull out in front of motorcyclists despite seeing them because of the phenomenon of “inattentional blindness”, a study has found.
The large number of accidents involving bikers is linked to the way the human brain fails to process information.
It is down to a person’s failure to notice an unexpected object located in plain sight and to blame for the high prevalence of looked-but-failed-to-see (LBFTS) crashes, the most common type of collision involving motorcycles.
LBFTS crashes occur when, despite clear conditions and the lack of other hazards or distractions, drivers will look in the direction of the oncoming motorbike – even looking directly at it – but still pull out into its path.
Kristen Pammer, Professor of psychology at Australian National University, said: “When we are driving, there is a huge amount of sensory information that our brain must deal with.
“The frequency of LBFTS crashes suggests a connection with how the brain filters out information.”
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