Motion Induced Blindness (Please Read if You Drive Regularly)

[sureshpasala]

Very interesting article, posted on FB by Anant Bhatia, I thought it is very useful and hence sharing on the forum.

Motion Induced Blindness

In a motor accident, wherein a speeding car hits a slower moving vehicle coming from the side, the speeding car drivers often swear that they just didn’t see the vehicle coming from the left or right.

Well, they aren’t lying. They really don’t see the vehicle coming from the side, in spite of broad daylight. This phenomenon on the car drivers’ part is known as “Motion Induced Blindness”. It is unbelievable but it is true, and it is definitely frightening. Armed forces pilots are taught about motion induced blindness during training, because it happens faster at high speeds; and to some extent it is applicable to car drivers also, especially the fast ones. So, if
you drive a car, please read this carefully.

Once airborne, pilots are taught to alternate their gaze between scanning the horizon and scanning their instrument panel, and never to fix their gaze for more than a couple of seconds on any single object. They are taught to continually keep their heads on a swivel and their eyes always moving. Because, if you fix your gaze on one object long enough while you yourself are in motion, your peripheral vision goes blind. That’s why it is called motion induced blindness. For fighter pilots, this is the only way to survive in air; not only during aerial combat, but from peacetime hazards like mid-air collisions as well.

Till about three decades ago, this “heads on swivel & eyes moving” technique was the only way to spot other aircraft in the skies around. Now-a-days they have on-board radars, but the old technique still
holds good.

Let me give you a small demonstration of motion induced blindness. This is the same demonstration that is used for trainee pilots in classrooms before they even go near an aircraft. Just click on the link below. You will see a revolving array of blue crosses on a black background. There is a flashing green dot in the centre and three fixed yellow dots around it. If you fix your gaze on the green dot for more than a few seconds, the yellow dots will disappear at random, either singly, or in pairs, or all three together. In reality, the yellow dots are always there. Just watch the yellow dots for some time to ensure that they don’t go anywhere!

MSF

(You can alter the background colour or the rpm of the array by clicking the appropriate buttons. Notes given by the author below the rotating array are educative.)

So, if you are driving at a high speed on a highway and if you fix your gaze on the road straight ahead, you will not see a car, a scooter, a buggy, a bicycle, a buffalo or even a human being approaching from the side. Now reverse the picture. If you are crossing a road on foot and you see a speeding car approaching. There’s a 90% chance that the driver isn’t seeing you, because his/her peripheral vision may be blind! And you may be in that blind zone!!

So readers please share this information to all who drive regularly and please post your comments as they might help in the long run.

Note:please move or merge this thread accordingly

 

[visran]

Wonderful find Suresh, Thanks for posting it here for our member's benefit it really is an well written and useful article.

 

[TSIVipul]

^^I came across the same article on an another forum some months ago and found it just spot on.
Thanks Suresh for bringing it here.

I myself tried to experiment it but was unable to do,but when I observed in many drives,weather day or night.Then it happens.
Since I never keep my gaze on the road ahead itself for whole time hence its seldom that I observe it,but it happens(maybe once in thousand).

 

[sureshpasala]

All the thanks to Ananth Bhatia for the wonderful find and help.Please make the others members aware, read it and experience so that it might be helpful especially on Indian roads.
I too shift my sight to both sides of the road without knowing this fact,after reading this article I made my friends and other family members read and experience it.

 

[sureshpasala]

Update regarding the post.Some people tend to focus on the road ahead very seriously as if going to war(no abuse). Below is the picture which suggests the vision depending upon the speed

 

[TSIVipul]

^^Haha,I was waiting for the same update.Although I never saw this pic but heard about this from one guy about a year ago.
Amazingly,when you drive at speeds of 150-160,then this turns down to 10-15 degree only.

 

[nozzlering]

Nice information. Interesting. Though I came across similar article somewhere else few months back.

 

[Vishwas]

Great piece of news. Yes it is important to rotate your eyes often and definitely to eliminate sleep, fatigue while you travel long distances.
Mandatory if you drive at night because this is the most vulnerable time for most of the mishaps. Believe it or not many of my cousins, friends hate to drive at night because of the reason: Tired, sleep, but i am very happy to ride in the night as i rotate my eyes often and not in one i have felt sleepy.

 

[threeace777]

nice article i have observed this a couple of times however wasn;t sure if logic existed
i drive a lot of times at night on highways and tend to fix my eyes

 

[sethumurugan]

Update regarding the post.Some people tend to focus on the road ahead very seriously as if going to war(no abuse). Below is the picture which suggests the vision depending upon the speed

I am not able to understand the significance of this angle in different speeds.

Can some one explain.

 

[Akash]

Excellent piece of information buddy. It is indeed helpful for guys who drive on regular basis.

 

[TSIVipul]

I am not able to understand the significance of this angle in different speeds.

Can some one explain.

Simple it is,its your COVERAGE AREA.

At 40 kph you can cover a large distance,while as the speed increases,your coverage area decreases with it as shown in the figure in different angles at different speeds.
Why it happens?Because as your speed increases,you tend to pay more and more attention to the road ahead of you instead of the objects which are on the sides.This in turn results in your coverage area becoming long but narrow.

Else take it this way:
Its like you have a cone,now you can increase the height or width of the cone,but you have to keep the volume constant.So now if you have to increase height of the cone,then your width(base diameter) will decrease and if you increase base diameter then your height will decrease.

I hope you got it,if not,then ask again.

 

[sethumurugan]

Simple it is,its your COVERAGE AREA.

At 40 kph you can cover a large distance,while as the speed increases,your coverage area decreases with it as shown in the figure in different angles at different speeds.
Why it happens?Because as your speed increases,you tend to pay more and more attention to the road ahead of you instead of the objects which are on the sides.This in turn results in your coverage area becoming long but narrow.

Else take it this way:
Its like you have a cone,now you can increase the height or width of the cone,but you have to keep the volume constant.So now if you have to increase height of the cone,then your width(base diameter) will decrease and if you increase base diameter then your height will decrease.

I hope you got it,if not,then ask again.

Perfect Explanation. Thank you very much.