Most motorcycle crashes happen in broad daylight. You should always wear brightly-colored clothing when riding to maximize your chances of being seen, even during the day.

Motorcycle riders will rarely actually hear a tire going flat. Tire failure is more often indicated by a change in how the motorcycle handles.

It is dangerous to ride directly alongside a vehicle in another lane because you may be in the vehicle's blind spot and the driver will have no way of knowing you are there. It can also be dangerous because the vehicle may block your path of escape if another hazard arises.

Always take extra care when riding a new or unfamiliar motorcycle. Most crashes involve riders who have had less than six months of experience with the motorcycle that they are using.

Conduct a thorough pre-ride inspection before every ride. It should usually take only a few minutes.

There is no single lane position that you always need to avoid. Adjust your position in response to changing conditions on the road.

Do everything you safely can to avoid hitting an animal in the road. If you are in traffic, however, you should remain in your lane. Swerving into another lane of traffic to avoid hitting an animal can cause you to collide with another driver. Hitting something small is less dangerous than hitting something big.

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.

When following a car, you should ride in a position that allows the driver to see you in their rearview mirror. Usually, that means riding in the center portion of the lane. Because most drivers check their rearview mirrors much more often than they check their side mirrors, being in this lane position increases the chance that they will see you.

The weaving motion that occurs when a motorcycle rides over rain grooves or bridge gratings is generally not dangerous. If you experience weaving when riding over one of these surfaces, simply relax and proceed straight across the grooves or gratings at a steady speed. Trying to compensate for the weaving motion by zigzagging is more dangerous than riding straight.

To get maximum protection, use a motorcycle helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) standards.

A skidding rear tire is a dangerous condition that can result in a violent crash and serious injury or death. Too much rear brake pressure can cause the rear wheel to lock. As soon as the rear wheel locks, your ability to change direction is lost. To regain control, the brake must be released.

As little as one drink can have a significant effect on the abilities that you need for safe riding. You can be impaired even if you are well below the legal blood alcohol limit. No amount of alcohol is safe to consume before riding.

Inexperienced riders should ride just behind the leader. This ensures that they won't have to chase after the group, and it allows more experienced riders to keep an eye on them from behind.

There are several major factors that can affect a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A BAC is determined in part by the amount of alcohol someone has consumed, how fast they consumed the alcohol, and their body weight.

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.

A properly chosen lane position should provide a number of benefits, including an increased ability to see others and to be seen. It should help you avoid wind blasts, other drivers' blind spots, and surface hazards. Your lane position should discourage other drivers from trying to share your lane and provide you with an escape route, should a hazard arise. Choose a lane position that maximizes your space cushion.

A properly chosen lane position can optimize a number of safety factors. Your lane position should keep you out of other vehicles’ blind spots, increase your ability to see and be seen, help you avoid surface hazards, help you avoid wind blasts from other vehicles, and provide you with an escape route from any hazards that might arise. You should be positioned in a way that discourages other drivers from trying to share your lane.

If your motorcycle has a sidecar, it is best for your passenger to ride in the sidecar. They should keep their hands inside the sidecar at all times.

If your rear tire fails, the back of your motorcycle will likely jerk from side to side. It is rare for motorcyclists to actually hear a tire fail.