This issue became personal to me when I was denied access to a military installation while wearing my 'Stich from head to toe, motorcycle gloves, motorcycle boots, full face helmet with visor, and safety glasses; when, in contrast, I could've gained access wearing jeans, a long sleeve T, leather work gloves, hiking boots, a half helmet, and goggles...as long as I had on the 'dork vest'.

I've given the 'dork vest' extensive thought.  I fought off the requirement to wear the 'dork vest' at Davis-Monthan AFB several years ago (http://www.illzoni.com/bikes/dmvest.htm).  I don't wear the 'dork vest'.  I wear an Aerostich 2-piece Roadcrafter that has a reflective stripe from shoulder to shoulder. It started life red. It has aged and faded.  If I had the cash, I’d replace it with a newer, brighter one.

I readily admit my primary opposition to the 'dork vest' lies in my feeling that it is....well, a 'dork vest'.  But I would like to make some arguments that it's not the savior some would like to make it.

Sure, it may be shallow, but our mission (RCs) is to increase motorcycling safety.  Clearly, appearance is important to many motorcyclists.  If we ignore this factor, we do so at the detriment of the message we're attempting to convey.

Many motorcyclists prefer black.  It's their preference.  What's the better option:
1) get them to wear something protective in black;
2) have them wear the 'dork vest' over a less protective garment?

When I formed many of my beliefs about motorcycling, I was living in Tucson for the first 15 years of my riding experience. If you're wearing a 'dork vest' you are:

1) a beggar;

2) a road worker;

3) a military motorcyclist.

I am number 3.  I don't need to ride down the road telling everyone of my military affiliation.  Believe it or not, there are those who don't like us.  OTOH, I also feel a bit more is expected of my behavior when I'm identifying myself as military...so I commute in civvies and not in uniform.

Numbers 1 and 2 are relatively stationary.  I don't need some blue-haired cager confusing my 50mph motorcycle with a pedestrian.  Bad things could happen.  Cagers also tend to dismiss what they fail to perceive as threats.  The don't feel pedestrians warrant a second thought...I really don't want them dismissing me on my motorcycle.

For the very small percentage of motorcycle collisions involving a cage rear ending the bike, the vest very well may help on bikes without any top case/box. For the overwhelming majority of threats to the motorcyclist (from the forward quarter) I'm of the opinion the vest (and whatever else we wear) is of very little consequence.  For the reflective properties of the vest to work, the cage's headlights would have to be pointed at the vest.  To be of any benefit, the vehicle would need to be in my path of travel or me in theirs.  That means they need to be straight ahead or behind, as anything from the side will just catch a glimpse as I ride past. If from straight ahead....if they can't see my headlight, they're not going to see the vest.

Depending on the motorcycle design and/or rider posture, the 'dork vest' really adds minimally to the visibility.  On many larger bikes (e.g. touring bikes, full dressers) the rider is mostly obscured from both the front and rear by body panels, lights, and/or luggage.

I'll go so far as to question the Hurt Study:
"Finding 13: Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets."

The British Journal of Medicine published a study a few years back that was conducted in New Zealand.  It concluded riders wearing bright or fluorescent headgear and/or upper garment were underrepresented in accident statistics.  What does that mean?  It means those wearing that gear had fewer accidents.  "But, Jon, you're contradicting yourself."  That sentence doesn't say what CAUSES the reduction in accidents.  I postulate the riders inclined to choose gear based on perceived level of safety (brighter, more visible) are more in the safety mindset and therefore have fewer accidents because of what's between their ears instead of what's covering their ears.

I believe persons wearing brightly colored clothing and/or helmets are already in a better mindset on motorcycling safety than those that don't wear such items.  I would further assert that such individuals, because of their safety mindset, would be underrepresented in crash/collision/accident statistics.  If my assertion is valid, any conclusion that the clothing/helmet contributed to safety is tempered by the affects of the safety mindset.  I would be very curious to see if riders clad in hi-viz would also be underrepresented in single vehicle accidents.  Obviously, their clothing didn't affect the accident, but did their mindset?

To illustrate my point on how the rider's mindset can affect safety.....

I also own/drive a large, red truck.  It stands about 6-1/2 feet tall.  It's bright red.  Idiots pull out in front of it pretty regularly, yet I haven't had any real problems with my silver, 600 pound motorcycle.  I'm convinced part of that problem is my cage mentality.  I tend to turn off my motorcycle-sense (think, spidy-sense) when wrapped by over 3 tons of metal.  I'm not as aware of my lane position, etc., and how it affects them seeing me.  While riding, I'm SEEing, but when I'm driving, unfortunately, I'm not as active in my own safety.  How I ride, not what I wear, has more affect on my personal safety.

On my bike, my position and actions have the greatest affect on others' perception of me.  I have many coulda-beens that could've gotten ugly had I not been paying attention.  I'm constantly adjusting lanes, lane location, speed, etc., to make myself visible to others.  The situations just don't rise to the critical level because I address them before they do.  Or, they're not happening because others are seeing me.

All that said, I do prefer to err on the side of visibility when possible.  Hence my (formerly) red RC.  The back of my bike is plastered with reflective material. I just installed a modulator.  However my bike is sparkling silver metallic.  I believe it blends with the urban environment worse than about any other color.  It's up to me to make myself seen.

We, as RiderCoaches, try to convey to our participants the need for them to take personal responsibility for their risk management and safety.  The narrower you make the PPE (personal protective equipment) requirements, the more you're saying, "motorcyclists can't be trusted to manage their own safety".  Military commanders need to cultivate a culture of safety, not mandate 'dork vests' their troops will resent and ignore and rebel against.

Personally, I wear my (faded) red 'Stich Roadcrafter 99% of the time.  It includes a wide strip of reflective material on the back from shoulder to shoulder, some on the lower outer legs, and some on the chest.  My motorcycle has some on the front fender and quite a bit on the rear of the saddlebags.  I agree it is advisable to err on the side of being visible.

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