Our Top Motorcycle Safety Tips

1. Practice situational awareness

If you have a fender-bender in your car, the metal gets dented or the plastic cracked. Have an accident on your bike and it’s your body that dents or cracks. Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the motorcyclist fatality rate was almost 28 times higher than the passenger-car-occupant rate. That’s why it’s critical that your eyes are always moving and you keep your head on a swivel. Understand your surroundings and the hazards they present. Make eye contact with motorists at intersections to confirm they see you.

2. Know your limits

Ride a bike whose weight, size and power are tailored to your skill level. Too much weight or power is a recipe for an accident. When seated, your feet should easily reach the ground without having to use the tips of your toes. If the bike feels too heavy, it probably is. Don’t take it as a shot to your manhood (or womanhood) to opt for a bike with lower displacement. Today’s small- and mid-sized bikes offer plenty of power to get the job done.

3. Watch your speed

It’s tempting to lay into the throttle on an open stretch of road, but be careful. A speeding ticket is the least of your worries. The faster you ride, the less time you have to react to potential hazards, like a pothole, debris on the road or inattentive motorists. Ride within your comfort zone and the limitations of the law. NHTSA reported that 36% of all motorcycle riders in fatal crashes in 2023 were speeding, compared with 22% of passenger-car drivers.

4. Leave room for braking

Avoid riding up someone’s tailpipe in order to ensure plenty of room for braking if you have to stop suddenly. If you have to brake in an emergency, use both the front and rear brakes and apply them progressively until you reach max pressure – don’t immediately squeeze the levers as hard as you can. Doing so invites a skid.

5. Practice your cornering skills

Holding a bike steady around a corner – especially a high-speed sweeper on a freeway or a tight hairpin – takes skill. Look ahead to where you want to go. The motorcycle will follow where you look, so don’t stare at the ground in front of you or the telephone pole up ahead. Try to look as far ahead as you can. If you’re a novice, find a quiet rural road or lightly trafficked street to practice cornering.

6. Exercise extra caution when riding at night

In rural areas, deer and other wildlife can jump out in front of you without notice. Even a bird, like a grouse or pheasant, can knock you off your bike and cause a severe accident. In urban areas, you can quickly get lost in the glare from streetlights or oncoming cars. Exercise extra caution when riding at night due to reduced visibility and increased wildlife and impairment-related risks.

7. Wear the right gear

Riding in flip-flops and a tank top won’t feel as great as it looks if you dump your bike. Instead, invest in gear that will help protect you from bugs, rocks & other debris, wind, hot sun and, of course, the pavement in the event of a crash. A leather jacket, chaps, boots and gloves are standard fare for many riders. Invest in a good helmet, too. NHTSA reports that in states without universal helmet laws, 51% of motorcyclists killed in 2023 were not wearing helmets, compared with 10% in states with universal helmet laws. If you choose not to wear a helmet in states where the choice is left to you, at least wear good eye protection.

8. Don’t drink and ride

It goes without saying that pounding beers all night and hopping on your bike are a potentially fatal mix. NHTSA found that motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night in 2023 were two and a half times more frequently alcohol-impaired than those killed during the day (38% versus 15%). Overall, 26% of motorcycle riders killed in 2023 were alcohol-impaired, and 41% of those who died in single-vehicle crashes were.