Target fixation
Discussion
Odd one, this. I'd heard about it with motorcyclists before however think I experienced it today on a long-ish run.
Went for an overtake, plenty of room, wide road, good visibility and speed differential. I was aware of a car approaching in the other direction and knew I could complete the overtake safely... As I passed them the passenger was giving me the coffee beans. I decided to review the dashcam video and noticed that my return to my side of the road was much longer than it should have been- In fact I felt it at the time. I'm sure this was due to being over-aware of the approaching car!
It still wasn't particularly marginal, there was loads of space and well inside safe parameters, but it's a scary thing to feel!
Any similar experiences?
Went for an overtake, plenty of room, wide road, good visibility and speed differential. I was aware of a car approaching in the other direction and knew I could complete the overtake safely... As I passed them the passenger was giving me the coffee beans. I decided to review the dashcam video and noticed that my return to my side of the road was much longer than it should have been- In fact I felt it at the time. I'm sure this was due to being over-aware of the approaching car!
It still wasn't particularly marginal, there was loads of space and well inside safe parameters, but it's a scary thing to feel!
Any similar experiences?
Might be a bit of target fixation going on. When things get busy, your brain is quite good at going where you look.
On a roadcraft point, if a wide road then a bit of early leftwards movement (not to cramp the target vehicle) and an indicator left can reassure the oncomer that you've seen them and taken them into your plan.
On a roadcraft point, if a wide road then a bit of early leftwards movement (not to cramp the target vehicle) and an indicator left can reassure the oncomer that you've seen them and taken them into your plan.
It's not an odd one at all, it is a pretty standard feature of the Mk. 1 human, and is part of our 'basic survival' toolkit - i.e. if we see something that we fear may harm us, then we stare at it.
Great in the days of attacking lions and bears, but a dangerous distraction in / on a vehicle. Unfortunately it might take tens of thousands of years for our evolutionary instinct to catch up!
It's something that needs to be overcome in racing, that's for sure. But it will also serve a road rider equally well.
There is a great 'drill' exercise in the Keith Code books that I used, which stopped me target fixating.
On a track, there are occasions when you might out-brake yourself a little, in which case it is often natural to start looking at the gravel / tyre wall, and inevitably, that is where you'll end up. Equally, when I was doing instructing on track days, it was not uncommon to be following a few road riders, the front guy runs off track, and the bikes behind all follow into the gravel, because they are watching and fixating on the guy who has run off.
The Keith Code drill to prevent this, which I might humbly suggest you try, can be practiced over and over again, at any point during your day. Start off doing it at home and at work, and then maybe try it whilst out in the car, driving normally.
At home, sit in a chair, and pick a point at the other end of the room, and look at it. Then, without taking your eyes off it, start to use your peripheral vision to recognise and name everything else in the room.
For example, you're looking at the window at the far end of the room. But see how, without moving your eyes from the window, you can see and identify the chairs, the coffee table, the pictures on the wall, etc. etc. etc.
Same whilst driving. You're looking at a point in the distance, but can 'see' and be aware of the road immediately in front of you, the kerbs or verges either side, pedestrians on the pavement - whatever.
It takes a lot of practice, but it is well worth doing.
Hence, eventually, you become 'aware' of the bigger picture around you, and next time something takes your vision and attention, you are not target fixating on the one thing, but still using all your peripheral vision skills to be 'looking' at everything else as well.
Hope this helps...
Great in the days of attacking lions and bears, but a dangerous distraction in / on a vehicle. Unfortunately it might take tens of thousands of years for our evolutionary instinct to catch up!
It's something that needs to be overcome in racing, that's for sure. But it will also serve a road rider equally well.
There is a great 'drill' exercise in the Keith Code books that I used, which stopped me target fixating.
On a track, there are occasions when you might out-brake yourself a little, in which case it is often natural to start looking at the gravel / tyre wall, and inevitably, that is where you'll end up. Equally, when I was doing instructing on track days, it was not uncommon to be following a few road riders, the front guy runs off track, and the bikes behind all follow into the gravel, because they are watching and fixating on the guy who has run off.
The Keith Code drill to prevent this, which I might humbly suggest you try, can be practiced over and over again, at any point during your day. Start off doing it at home and at work, and then maybe try it whilst out in the car, driving normally.
At home, sit in a chair, and pick a point at the other end of the room, and look at it. Then, without taking your eyes off it, start to use your peripheral vision to recognise and name everything else in the room.
For example, you're looking at the window at the far end of the room. But see how, without moving your eyes from the window, you can see and identify the chairs, the coffee table, the pictures on the wall, etc. etc. etc.
Same whilst driving. You're looking at a point in the distance, but can 'see' and be aware of the road immediately in front of you, the kerbs or verges either side, pedestrians on the pavement - whatever.
It takes a lot of practice, but it is well worth doing.
Hence, eventually, you become 'aware' of the bigger picture around you, and next time something takes your vision and attention, you are not target fixating on the one thing, but still using all your peripheral vision skills to be 'looking' at everything else as well.
Hope this helps...
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
At home, sit in a chair, and pick a point at the other end of the room, and look at it. Then, without taking your eyes off it, start to use your peripheral vision to recognise and name everything else in the room.
For example, you're looking at the window at the far end of the room. But see how, without moving your eyes from the window, you can see and identify the chairs, the coffee table, the pictures on the wall, etc. etc. etc.
Same whilst driving. You're looking at a point in the distance, but can 'see' and be aware of the road immediately in front of you, the kerbs or verges either side, pedestrians on the pavement - whatever.
It takes a lot of practice, but it is well worth doing.
Hence, eventually, you become 'aware' of the bigger picture around you, and next time something takes your vision and attention, you are not target fixating on the one thing, but still using all your peripheral vision skills to be 'looking' at everything else as well.
Thank you for this - very interesting. I'll mentally bank it along with all the other stuff I've got stored up there. For example, you're looking at the window at the far end of the room. But see how, without moving your eyes from the window, you can see and identify the chairs, the coffee table, the pictures on the wall, etc. etc. etc.
Same whilst driving. You're looking at a point in the distance, but can 'see' and be aware of the road immediately in front of you, the kerbs or verges either side, pedestrians on the pavement - whatever.
It takes a lot of practice, but it is well worth doing.
Hence, eventually, you become 'aware' of the bigger picture around you, and next time something takes your vision and attention, you are not target fixating on the one thing, but still using all your peripheral vision skills to be 'looking' at everything else as well.
My tip with target fixation relates to when things have gone irreversibly wrong.
"Look at the gap - not at the tree".
carreauchompeur said:
As I passed them the passenger was giving me the coffee beans.
My other thought on this is that's not very nice of him, but a cheery and friendly wave where you have perhaps used a little more than your fair share of room or alarmed someone is a nice way to leave them wondering whether they should hate you or not.I discovered this on a speed awareness course, they explained about target fixation. If you're experiencing a crash you will become fixated on the object you think you're going to hit thus steering towards it and hitting it. If you look past the object you're more likely to not hit it.
And if the worst comes to the worst, remember to steer, don't just sit there waiting for the crunch. If you've ABS, steering is effective with the brakes hard on, if you haven't get off the brakes and steer. Get it into your head and say it over and over again to yourself, steer, steer, steer, then you won't be caught out like a rabbit in the headlights.
Edited by titian on Monday 2nd June 13:09
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