In some sense, the human brain is similar to a computer. It is constantly processing information. This could be visual information, auditory information and much else.
But there are limits. The brain can only work through so much information at a time. If someone quickly looks over a scene, for example, there may be too many small details for the brain to take in and analyze at once.
In order to overcome this limitation, the brain can actually filter out things that it doesn’t believe are important. It can also fill in the gaps in the person’s visual field. Someone will generally see the things that they expect to see—unless they slow down and take more time to look carefully, allowing their brain’s processing speed to catch up. This is known as inattentional blindness.
Why is this an issue for motorcyclists?
This is specifically a serious problem for motorcyclists because many other drivers do not expect to see motorcycles and are typically not looking for them. As a result, someone who scans the road before making a turn may believe that the road is empty. They don’t see the motorcycle, and their brain has actually filtered it out.
As a result, this driver could look at the motorcycle directly, fail to see it, and then turn in front of the bike. From the motorcyclist’s perspective, they were in plain view the entire time and had the right of way. But the driver fails to yield the right of way because they don’t see the bike, leading to a devastating crash.
Seeking financial compensation
Have you been injured in a motorcycle accident that another driver caused? Even if inattentional blindness was a contributing factor, that negligent driver may still be responsible, so it’s important to know if you can seek financial compensation for medical bills and much more.