There’s an incredible amount of information for your brain to process every time you look around. To try to reduce this mental load, the brain will attempt to guess at things that you expect to see. This helps create a picture of the world around you that feels real, even if some details are technically being missed.
Many people do not understand that the brain does this, so they assume that they are genuinely seeing everything every time they look at it. That’s why this phenomenon can sometimes lead to car accidents, as drivers will not see hazards that are in clear view. When this happens, it is known as inattentional blindness.
Motorcycle accidents
One of the most common ways that this happens is when a driver is involved in a motorcycle accident. The driver may pull up to a stop sign, knowing they have to wait for cross traffic. They look both ways, and all they see is one pickup truck on an otherwise empty road. The truck goes by, the driver pulls into the street…and then they get hit by a motorcycle.
The motorcycle, of course, was on the road the entire time. But because most drivers only expect to see larger vehicles, their brain fills in the gaps. As strange as it seems, a driver who is not expecting to see a motorcycle is far less likely to see it, even though it is there.
How can drivers overcome this issue? They need to take their time, stay alert and really focus on their surroundings. Unfortunately, some will not do so and will instead cause catastrophic accidents. Those who have been injured in these accidents need to know how to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs.