As little as one alcoholic drink can significantly affect the skills that are needed for safe riding. The only way to remove the alcohol content of a drink from your body is to allow your body time to eliminate it.

Oily drippings from cars and trucks build up in the center of each lane. Unless the road is wet, this strip usually still provides enough traction more a motorcycle to operate safely. The strip is generally narrow enough that you can ride to either side of it and still be in the center portion of the lane.

When riding in a group, you should maintain close ranks but still keep an adequate space cushion around each rider.

For your protection, you should always wear a long-sleeved jacket made of appropriate material when riding. This is true even in warm weather because wearing a jacket is important to help prevent dehydration. You should also always wear long pants, and tuck in the laces of your footwear to prevent them from catching on the motorcycle.

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

You should stay well behind the vehicle in front of you, even when you are both stopped. This will give you room to escape if the vehicle backs up unexpectedly or if another vehicle approaches too quickly from behind.

When riding on slippery surfaces, you should use both brakes to slow down. Squeeze the brake lever gradually to avoid locking the front wheel and use gentle pressure on the rear brake.

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

When you are stopped at an intersection, use your mirrors to check for cars approaching you from behind. The drivers may not notice you until they are too close and you may need to react.

The best way to handle a tailgater is to change lanes and let them pass you. Speeding up may cause them to tailgate you at a higher speed, only increasing the danger. Never ride on the shoulder of a road because drivers will never expect you to be there and may leave the road suddenly.

An integrated braking system is a variant of a linked braking system. Partial front braking is applied whenever the rear brake is activated. Check your owner's manual for a detailed explanation of the braking system on your motorcycle.

It is particularly important for a rider to check their mirrors when slowing down or stopping, when stopped at an intersection, when changing lanes, and when turning.

When riding, you should securely tuck in the laces of your footwear so that they will not catch on your motorcycle.

If you are not riding slowly enough when shifting into a lower gear, your motorcycle may lurch and the rear tire may skid, causing you to lose control of your motorcycle. Be sure that you are moving slowly enough before shifting into a lower gear.

When parking a motorcycle next to a curb, you should create at a 90-degree angle with the curb by touching your rear wheel to the curb.

In Oregon, it is illegal for motorcycles and mopeds to pass between two moving vehicles on a multilane highway or one-way street.

When approaching a blind intersection that is controlled by a stop line or stop sign, you must first stop where indicated. You may then edge forward and stop again just short of where the cross traffic lane meets your lane. From that position, lean your body forward and look around buildings, parked cars, or bushes to see if anything is approaching. Make sure your front wheel stays out of the crossroad while you are looking.

In addition to protecting your face from injury in a crash, a face shield protects you from wind, dust, dirt, rain, insects, and pebbles thrown up from surrounding vehicles.

Alcohol is a major contributor to motorcycle crashes, particularly fatal crashes. Studies show that nearly 40 percent of all riders killed in motorcycle accidents had been drinking.

If you are being chased by a dog, downshift and approach it slowly. Then, as you approach the dog, accelerate and leave it behind. If you encounter a larger animal, brake and prepare to stop.

The single best thing you can do to make your motorcycle more visible to other drivers is to have your headlight on at all times when riding.

On a straightaway, you can stop in the shortest distance by using both brakes. Try to avoid locking either brake.

If you cannot avoid hitting an obstacle in the roadway, you should try to hit it at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Slow down as much as you can before contact, keep your motorcycle upright, rise slightly off of your seat, and roll the throttle slightly to lighten the front end just before impact.

The best way to deal with a tailgater is to get them ahead of you. If you can do so safely, change lanes and let them pass. Speeding up may only increase the danger by encouraging them to keep tailgating you at a higher speed.

If you cannot avoid riding over an obstacle or uneven surface, you should approach it at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Slow down as much as you can, make sure that your motorcycle is upright, and rise slightly off your seat so your knees can absorb some of the force of impact. Just before contact, roll on the throttle slightly to lighten the front end.