The single most effective action you can take to improve your chances of surviving a crash is to wear a high-quality helmet that is securely fastened.

When riding, you should be seated in a posture that allows you to use your arms to steer rather than to hold yourself up. You should not have to stretch to reach the handgrips and your arms should be slightly bent when holding them. You should keep your knees against the gas tank to maintain your balance.

No matter the speed, riders who are not wearing helmets are three times more likely to die from head injuries than riders who are wearing helmets at the time of a crash.

A passenger puts extra weight on a motorcycle, which causes the motorcycle to handle differently. Only experienced riders should carry passengers.

Because of the additional weight added by cargo or a passenger, motorcycles may take longer to accelerate and stop than they would if only transporting the operator.

The best way to deal with a tailgater is to let them get in front of you. If you can do so safely, change lanes and let the tailgater pass. Riding faster may only increase the danger by prompting them to continue tailgating you at the higher speed.

Strategies for safely riding at night include reducing your speed, increasing your following distance, using the lights of the car ahead to help see farther down the road, using your high beam headlight (unless following or meeting another vehicle), and being flexible about your lane position.

When riding in a group, riders should maintain close ranks while also allowing adequate space cushions around each rider. Staying close together makes the group easier to see and reduces the risk that riders will become separated. Riders should not pair up because doing so does not allow adequate room for them to maneuver.

Gloves can provide you with an improved grip on your motorcycle's handlebars. They can also protect your hands in the event of a crash.

Before every ride, be sure to check your tires' inflation pressure, your tires' treadwear, and the general condition of the sidewalls and tread surface on the tires.

A plastic, shatter-resistant face shield helps protect your entire face, including your eyes. Goggles can protect your eyes, but not the rest of your face. A windshield is not an adequate substitute for either.

To ride safely at night, you should reduce your speed, use your high beam headlight when you are not riding near other vehicles, and increase your following distance. Take advantage of vehicles ahead of you to provide clues about the upcoming road. Their headlights may help to illuminate the road ahead and their taillights will bounce up and down if the vehicle is being driven over bumps on the road.

Choose a helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and state standards. It should fit you snugly all the way around and be free of obvious defects.

If possible, change lanes and let a tailgater pass your vehicle. Speeding up may result in the driver continuing to tailgate you at a higher speed, thereby increasing the danger.

Despite their small size, motorcycles still need a full lane width to operate safely. Lane sharing is generally prohibited.

A passenger should lean with the operator through turns and curves. They should sit as far forward as possible, without hindering the operator's control of the motorcycle, and hold onto passenger handholds or the operator's waist, hips, or belt.