sussex2 wrote:The same with my MX5 as a lot of people simply don't see you. The thing is by the way the California model which is bright yellow!
Slightly off topic but I also notice that people will follow you much more closely in a bright coloured car than a darker one. It is notable in the Mazda.
My own theory is that the eye is attracted to bright colours and that we consider them more safe; hence are happier to get close to them. That would blow the theory about HiViz jackets and cyclists out of the window
One thing i've noticed in my MX5 is that the rear view magnifies. This sometimes catches me out when I switch cars and something to add to my cockpit drill. It's also low slung and so headlights in the rear view as well as oncoming can be an issue. 4x4's and Vans are the worst for this.
As for how the brain perceives what the eyes see as colours, I tend to think it's sometimes more of a matter of not steering towards what you are looking directly at. ('Ideo-Motor Iesponse/effect'). A lesson I learned while skiing into a pylon as I desperately tried not to, many years ago.
One quote about IMR's
"honest, intelligent people can unconsciously engage in muscular activity that is consistent with their expectations" (Hyman,1977)
As for Hi-Viz and cyclists, not wearing brightly coloured clothing while cycling, is nothing short of daft, in my book. I encountered a few on unlit A roads while driving back on the M23 detour from Gatwick to Brighton last night and another today on an NSL, in the rain near Shoreham today. It's just such a Darwin Award of an idea.
A wise man once told me that "it depends". I sometimes agree.
