If your rear wheel locks while braking, do not release the brake. Instead, keep it locked until you come to a full stop.

When riding, sit so that you can use your arms to control the motorcycle rather than to hold yourself up. Your arms should be slightly bent when you hold the handgrips. To help maintain your balance, keep your knees against the gas tank and your feet firmly on the footrests.

Wear reflective materials to increase your visibility, especially when riding at night. Brightly-colored clothing with reflective materials will make you more visible to other road users.

Most wobbles are caused by improper loading of the motorcycle, unsuitable accessories, or incorrect tire pressure.

You should use a turn signal every time you plan to turn or change lanes, even if you think no one else is around to see it.

When taking normal turns, lean at the same angle as your motorcycle. However, in slow, tight turns, you should counterbalance the leaning motorcycle by keeping your body upright.

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.

Check your brake levers individually before every ride. Make sure each one feels firm and holds the motorcycle when the brake is fully applied.

To reduce the risk of a crash, you should always ensure that you are visible to others. Communicate your intentions through proper use of your signals, brake light, and lane position. Maintain a space cushion around your motorcycle and consistently scan the road ahead of, behind, and next to your vehicle.

You should wear gear that helps protect you while you ride. It is best to wear a DOT-approved helmet, face or eye protection, and protective clothing.

Experienced riders use a SEE strategy while riding to make safe judgements. "SEE" stands for Search, Evaluate, and Execute.

When approaching a blind intersection, move into the part of the lane that will bring you into an oncoming driver's field of vision at the earliest possible moment. For example, when approaching a blind corner to your right, you may be seen sooner if you are in the left portion of your lane and not in the center portion.

Distances are difficult to judge in the dark because visual cues (like shadows and light contrasts) can be missing or distorted. You should allow a longer following distance when riding at night than you do when riding during the day.

Nothing guarantees that a driver sees you. It is safest to assume that if another vehicle can enter your path, it will.

It is important to do a thorough inspection of your motorcycle before every ride. This will usually take you only a few minutes.

The liver burns alcohol at a set rate, and there is nothing you can do to speed along the process. The only way to lessen the effects of alcohol is to give your body the time needed to remove it.

Riding safely at night is challenging because it is harder to see and be seen than it is during the day. The absence of normal shadows and light contrasts makes it harder to judge distances.

You should use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure before every ride. An under-inflated tire may still look okay, so a visual check is not enough.

Exposure to engine and wind noise can damage your hearing, even if you are wearing a helmet. Hearing protection can guard against this while still allowing you to hear essential sounds like horns and sirens.

Motorcycle brake lights are more difficult to see than the brake lights of larger vehicles, so flashing your brake light may help other drivers to notice it. You should flash you brake light before slowing down where other drivers may not expect you to slow down, such as in the middle of a block or when approaching an alley.

Using both brakes even in normal stopping stops will help you develop the habit of always using both. Having this habit will serve you well in emergencies, where using both brakes may be critical.

You should never count on eye contact to guarantee that a driver will yield to you. It is not uncommon for drivers to look directly at a motorcyclist but fail to consciously notice them.

Most drivers do not look at their side mirrors as often as they look at their rearview mirror. Therefore, when following a car, it is generally best to ride in the center portion of the lane where you are most likely to be visible in the driver's rearview mirror.

In traffic, a motorcycle needs as much distance to stop as a car does.

A following distance of at least four seconds is recommended for beginning riders. Increase your following distance any time conditions are less than perfect.