My brother in law had a 85 year old turn in front of him, said he never saw him ,screwed his back up bad , he was on a little Gold Wing hard to see
My inlaw is a ex motorcycle cop, quit riding.
My best riding friend had a 80 something year old turn in front of him ZX 14 , In for Coma two days, If I **** off people with my Modulator ... TOO BAD It's legal.
Great read,
"For decades, industry experts have been telling us what we already know: motorists don’t see motorcycles and even when they do, they often can’t judge motorcycle speed and distance correctly. All too often, the result is fatal.
More bikes are on the road and drivers are getting older…
Every year the number of motorcycles on the road increases. At the same time, the driving population in general is getting older. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, U.S. motorcycle sales have increased steadily for the past 14 years. In 1992, sales were about 250,000 units. In 2006, motorcycle sales were over one million. At the same time, the average age of motorcycle drivers has increased from 24 years old in 1980 to an average of 41 years old today. Currently there are almost 19 million drivers licensed in the U.S. that are 70 or older. By, 2020 it is estimated there will be more than 30 million drivers over the age of 70.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports that the primary traffic violation committed by drivers aged 50 and over is “failure to observe the right of way”. For older drivers, it is well known that as we age our depth perception is reduced, peripheral vision deteriorates, and reaction time becomes slower. Also, let’s not forget the new drivers; Studies have shown that young drivers take a long time to develop and hone their “information gathering” and response skills.
So, what does any of this have to do with headlight modulators?
Well, for starters when a motorcycle is the victim in an accident with a motor vehicle – the number one reason given by the driver is that they didn’t see the motorcycle and as stated above, the leading cause of these accidents is failure to yield the right of way.
Motorcyclists have become invisible again:
One of the problems facing motorcyclists today is they no longer have the advantage of standing out in the crowd through the use of “always on” headlights. Now that most motor vehicles currently on the road are equipped with Daytime Running Lamps (DRL’s), motorcyclists have been thrust back to invisibility.
Some motorists may be slightly annoyed – but, they’ll know you’re there!
From the motorist’s point of view, a headlight modulator on high beam pulsating in the rearview mirror may be annoying. However, in these situations the modulator can be run on low beam or shut off when stuck in traffic. In any case, the goal here is safety and headlight modulators will get you noticed.
In addition, the argument that “there are no definitive studies that prove headlight modulators reduce accidents” is certainly countered by the fact that both the U.S. and Canada have legalized their use. Obviously, these governments must have been convinced of their value.
Summary:
So, as our roads become more congested and motorist still can’t see us, and we can’t react as quickly as we once could, but we want to keep doing we what enjoy – then, there’s only one option: Change the variables!
It is our responsibility to do what we can to insure our safety on the road. Wearing high visibility clothing, proper riding gear, attending driver training courses, and compensating for our changing abilities are all requirements for safe riding. Modern headlight modulators offer motorcyclists the opportunity to once again be seen and should be seriously considered as a valuable component in the mix."
Headlight Modulators are legal for use in all 50 states.
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