Ever heard of target fixation?
Target fixation is an attentional phenomenon observed in humans in which an individual becomes so focused on an observed object (be it a target or hazard) that they inadvertently increase their risk of colliding with the object.
For riders this occurs when a rider locks his/her focus of attention onto something, such as a piece of roadside furniture (a lamp stand, for example) and by so doing, increases his chances of crashing into it. This is responsible for a lot more motorcycle crashes than we care to admit, yet when one considers the thinness of a lamp stand, the thinness of the motorcycle and the usually large amount of clear space around a lamp stand, one has to ask, how come the rider impacted perfectly into the obstacle and couldn’t swerve/ride around it? Simple, the rider locked on the obstacle and this "aimed" his/her motorcycle at it.
Actually it is something a bit more than simply looking at the obstacle. What "aims" the bike is the rider’s focus of attention. Because it's a focus it becomes the dominant message for the brain and, consequently, all riding actions "focus" on this message. This means that if you look with your direct vision in a direction that will enable you to avoid a pothole, but focus on that pothole with your peripheral vision, you are most likely going right into that pothole.
The object the rider focuses on doesn’t need to be anything as concentrated as a large post, either. If a frightened rider focuses on the side of the road while trying to round a corner he thinks he isn’t going to make, the most likely result is that the rider will run off the road and crash. Mostly this occurs when the rider is entering a turn a bit too fast, and finds himself looking at the spot where he’d run off, instead of through the turn.
For riders this occurs when a rider locks his/her focus of attention onto something, such as a piece of roadside furniture (a lamp stand, for example) and by so doing, increases his chances of crashing into it. This is responsible for a lot more motorcycle crashes than we care to admit, yet when one considers the thinness of a lamp stand, the thinness of the motorcycle and the usually large amount of clear space around a lamp stand, one has to ask, how come the rider impacted perfectly into the obstacle and couldn’t swerve/ride around it? Simple, the rider locked on the obstacle and this "aimed" his/her motorcycle at it.
Actually it is something a bit more than simply looking at the obstacle. What "aims" the bike is the rider’s focus of attention. Because it's a focus it becomes the dominant message for the brain and, consequently, all riding actions "focus" on this message. This means that if you look with your direct vision in a direction that will enable you to avoid a pothole, but focus on that pothole with your peripheral vision, you are most likely going right into that pothole.
The object the rider focuses on doesn’t need to be anything as concentrated as a large post, either. If a frightened rider focuses on the side of the road while trying to round a corner he thinks he isn’t going to make, the most likely result is that the rider will run off the road and crash. Mostly this occurs when the rider is entering a turn a bit too fast, and finds himself looking at the spot where he’d run off, instead of through the turn.
Riding
experts talk a lot about how to avoid target fixation, but it is really
difficult to stop fixating on a target or ignore impending danger. However,
target fixation is not necessarily a negative thing. You can use it for
good instead of evil, like steering your bike toward a corner exit, or
around an obstacle.
Have you ever gone into a corner too hot? Yeah, all the time, right? What happens next is you tend to look at where you think your bike is going to go and that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Be it positive or negative...
But what if you shift your gaze toward a more appropriate target? Say, for example, the exit of the corner. Chances are your body will shift stance slightly and you will steer toward the proper exit.
Have you ever gone into a corner too hot? Yeah, all the time, right? What happens next is you tend to look at where you think your bike is going to go and that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Be it positive or negative...
But what if you shift your gaze toward a more appropriate target? Say, for example, the exit of the corner. Chances are your body will shift stance slightly and you will steer toward the proper exit.
This is the main reason MotoGP riders always have their heads at a particular angle in curves.
 |
| Notice Jorge's focus. |
 |
| Notice where his eyes are focused. |
It’s
all about picking another target. One that is not going to end in
tears. I’ve done it on several occasions to avoid danger, but it takes a
bit of practice.
 |
| Red line: Wrong focus. Blue line: Right focus. |
During one of your solo rides, pick a spot on a quiet stretch of road and find something like a mark on the road to act as your “obstacle”. Then find something nearby to refocus on.
Ride by and focus on hitting the first target. It won’t be difficult to hit it. Then ride by and focus on the first target, but refocus on the new target and watch your bike react.
This phenomenon isn’t peculiar to only motorcyclists. Drivers target-fixate too, although drunk and mentally fuzzy/tired drivers are more prone to this than alert and well-rested drivers. However, it can happen to anyone who finds themselves sitting back enjoying the ride when they're driving.
This is one reason emergency response tend to park their vehicles in such a way as to protect themselves and the scene on limited-access highways. It is not uncommon for drunks to target-fixate on the flashing lights of cop cars or ambulances and plough right into the back or side of the emergency response vehicle! This is a phenomenon well-known to cops, fire-fighters and EMS people.
This also helps to explain why American motor officers are trained to mount and dismount on what most US riders would consider to be the wrong side of the bike. When you're parked on the side of a busy road, it's safer to get on/off the bike from the right, since the moving cars are on the left side.
This is one reason emergency response tend to park their vehicles in such a way as to protect themselves and the scene on limited-access highways. It is not uncommon for drunks to target-fixate on the flashing lights of cop cars or ambulances and plough right into the back or side of the emergency response vehicle! This is a phenomenon well-known to cops, fire-fighters and EMS people.
This also helps to explain why American motor officers are trained to mount and dismount on what most US riders would consider to be the wrong side of the bike. When you're parked on the side of a busy road, it's safer to get on/off the bike from the right, since the moving cars are on the left side.
Let us know how you combat target fixation in the comments section below...
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