Always use both brakes every time that you slow or stop.

Never let someone ride if they have had too much to drink. Do whatever you can to prevent them from riding, including taking their keys, if necessary. Arrange an alternative way for them to get home.

To minimize your risk of a crash, ensure that you are visible to other drivers, communicating your intentions to other drivers, and maintaining a cushion of space around you. You should search for, identify, and separate hazards. Be prepared to react to anything that happens.

You should use your low beam headlight when riding in snowy, rainy, or foggy weather. A high beam headlight can reflect off of these conditions and make it more difficult for a rider to see.

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.

Reflective material on a vest or on the sides of your helmet can make you more visible to other drivers and should be used both day and night.

Scan the road ahead to remain alert to changing traffic conditions, hazardous road conditions, and escape routes. Be prepared to react to any changing conditions.

To increase your chances of being seen at an intersection, use your headlight and ride in a lane position that creates the best view of oncoming traffic. Maintain a space cushion around your motorcycle that allows you to take evasive action.

To protect yourself against injury, you should wear a DOT-compliant helmet; face or eye protection; a jacket and long pants made of sturdy material; boots or shoes that are high and sturdy enough to cover and support your ankles; and gloves made of durable material.

You should avoid riding if you are tired. When making a long trip, take rest breaks at least every two hours to reduce the risk of becoming fatigued.

Never rely on eye contact as an assurance that a driver will properly yield to you. It is common for drivers to look directly at motorcyclists and still fail to notice them.

When riding, wear boots or shoes that are high and sturdy enough to cover and support your ankles. Heels should be short so they don't catch on rough surfaces. Laces should be tucked in so they can't catch onto the moving parts of the motorcycle.

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.

A plastic, shatter-resistant face shield can help protect your whole face in a crash. While goggles can protect your eyes, they won't protect the rest of your face. A windshield is not a substitute for a face shield or goggles.

Avoid riding down the center of a lane under wet conditions. Instead, ride in the tire tracks left by the cars ahead of you. The left tire track will often be best, but this can vary depending on traffic and other conditions.

While riding in a staggered formation is usually best, a group should switch into a single-file formation when turning, taking curves, or entering or exiting a highway.

When riding behind a passenger vehicle, it is usually best to ride in the center of the lane so you will be visible in the driver's rearview mirror. Most drivers check their rearview mirrors much more often than their side mirrors, so this lane position will increase your chances of being seen.

Use both brakes every time you slow or stop, regardless of the condition of the road.

Trying to accelerate out of a wobble is dangerous and will only make your motorcycle more unstable. Instead, grip the handlebars firmly (without trying to fight the wobble), gradually close the throttle to slow down, and move your weight as far forward and downward as possible. Pull off the road as soon as you can.

Riding with a sidecar increases the weight of a motorcycle and increases the braking force needed to stop the motorcycle. Slowing and stopping take longer when riding a vehicle downhill than when riding on a flat surface.

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.

Signals are an important part of communication when riding in groups. When the lead rider's right leg is extended, it means there is a hazard in the roadway on their right side.

Before riding with a heavy load, you should make sure your tire pressure, spring pre-load, air shocks, and dampers are at the settings recommended for the relevant weight.

A windshield is not an adequate substitute for either a face shield or goggles. Most windshields will not protect your eyes from the wind.

Roll on the throttle through a turn to stabilize your suspension. Maintain a steady speed or accelerate gradually through the turn.