What do you see when you look at the road ahead? Most drivers would argue they see everything they need to. Yet if that were so, then there wouldn’t be so many cases of drivers pulling straight out in front of motorcyclists and injuring or killing them.
One thing that can help explain this anomaly is a phenomenon called inattentional blindness.
You can’t take in everything at once
Inattentional blindness refers to how individuals often “fail to notice obvious but unexpected objects or events in their visual field when their attention is engaged with another task.”
For example, have you ever gone to a museum and stared at a famous painting? First, you focus on what you expect to see, such as the central figure. The longer you stand there, the more detail you will notice. Sitting at a junction waiting to pull out works a bit like that. Drivers usually notice cars, buses and trucks first, because that is what they are expecting to see. If they do not take long enough to check, they may miss spotting the smaller details, such as a motorcyclist.
Too many drivers make only a cursory check before pulling out or making a turn. While inattentional blindness can help explain why a driver didn’t spot a motorcyclist, it does not excuse them from their duty to ensure the road is clear before making their maneuver.
Drivers often try to blame the motorcyclist in a crash, saying they came out of nowhere. Legal guidance can help those injured to dispel such arguments and put the blame firmly where it belongs to pursue the compensation they need.