Though wearing a helmet greatly reduces the risk of a fatal head injury, wearing one is not legally required in Illinois. However, it is highly recommended.

Brightly-colored and/or reflective clothing will increase your chances of being seen under any conditions. Remember that most motorcycle crashes happen in broad daylight so it is still best to wear bright clothing during the day.

A motorcycle requires more frequent attention than a car. Make a complete check of your motorcycle before every ride.

When riding at night, use your high beam (unless you are following or meeting another car), take advantage of the headlights of other vehicles, and wear reflective materials to increase your visibility. You should always be flexible about your lane position, selecting whichever position will help you to see, be seen, and have an adequate space cushion.

When passing a row of parked cars, it is generally best to stay on the side of your lane that is not directly next to the cars. This will help to protect you from potential hazards like car doors being opened or people stepping out from between the cars. If there is traffic coming from the opposite direction, it is a good idea to stay in the center portion of the lane.

In a group of motorcyclists, riders with less experience should be positioned toward the front of the group, just behind the leader. This will allow more experienced riders behind them to keep an eye on them.

A number of surfaces can provide poor traction for tires. Wet pavement; roads covered in loose gravel or sand; muddy, snowy, or icy areas; and painted lane markings can be more hazardous for a motorcyclist than dry pavement.

You should never take eye contact as a guarantee that a driver will properly yield to you. It is not uncommon for drivers to look directly at a motorcyclist but fail to register that they are there.

During normal turns, the motorcycle and the rider should be leaning together at the same angle. In slow, tight turns, only the motorcycle should lean while the rider keeps their body straight up.

If you accidentally lock the rear tire on a good traction surface, leave it locked until you can come to a complete stop. Even with a locked rear wheel, you will be able to control a motorcycle on a surface with good traction as long as the motorcycle is upright and traveling in a straight line.

You will seldom actually hear a tire go flat. Instead, tire failure may be indicated by a sudden change in the motorcycle's handling.

Because road and traffic conditions are always changing, the safest lane position is also always changing. Choose the position that will maximize your space cushion and allow other drivers to see you most easily.

Anyone with a minimum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent is considered legally intoxicated and is not permitted to operate a motor vehicle. However, a person with a BAC under the legal limit may still be convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) if their driving ability is impaired.

It is a good idea to flash your brake light before slowing if someone is following you too closely. The other driver may be focused on you and be unaware of the upcoming hazard that is causing you to slow down. It is also important to flash your brake light if you are about to slow down in a place where other drivers might not expect you to do so.

Use both brakes any time you slow or stop.