Sharing the Road with Motorcycles and Bicycles (continued)

Cyclists and motorcyclists take extra effort to be seen by wearing reflective or brightly colored clothing and assuming lane positions that maximize visibility. There are several reasons for this:

• Drivers tend to only see what they are looking for. Most drivers of cars only look for things of automobile size or larger.
  
• A motorcycle is much thinner than a car and difficult to see, especially when approaching from the rear, where they can be hidden in blind spots.
  
• Motorcyclists move frequently to avoid poor road conditions and tend to weave through traffic.
  
• It is more difficult to estimate the relative speed of a motorcycle since they only have one headlight or two that are closely spaced.
  
• Bicyle and Motorcycle riders may not be wearing bright clothes to make them more visible.
  
• Bicyclists may not have lights for night riding.