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Something like 70% of single-vehicle motorcycle collisions involve alcohol, so that's the big one to avoid. Here are my tips, from 17 years of riding and commu

Something like 70% of single-vehicle motorcycle collisions involve alcohol, so that's the big one to avoid. Here are my tips, from 17 years of riding and commuting by motorcycle: * Avoid alcohol before riding (edit: personally, I never ride within six hours of consuming any alcohol). * Wear high-quality, full-body protective gear. * Avoid rush hour when possible, particularly evening rush hour when drivers are tired, cranky, and aggressively want to get home. * Absolutely avoid riding during drunk hours. Basically, stay off the streets after 9pm on Friday and Saturday, and stay away from sporting events, concerts, etc.

lancewiggs 15y ago
I emphasize that enough - riding after any alcohol is temporary citizenship. But aside from not drinking or rising like an idiot the biggest thing we motorcyclists can do to increase our safety is to wear a high visibility jacket. It creates a noticeable difference in the percentage of other road users that see you, which addresses the major cause of accidents. Protective gear is a last resort - it's better to avoid the accident in the first place. The best protective gear is the stuff you wear, so for short trips if you are tempted to leave the heavy gear behind, at least throw on a light flouro jacket.
- mkopinsky 15y ago
  Temporary citizenship? Is this some idiom I'm not familiar with?
  - kgermino 15y ago
    Early death.
    - mkopinsky 15y ago
      In that sense, all citizenship is temporary. Only a question of _how_ temporary. :-)
- georgieporgie 15y ago
  I'm going to disagree with you, somewhat. I see increasing numbers of riders with high-visibility gear. I've always been a fan, so I'm happy to see it. However, I've noticed that, more often than not, very little of the jacket/pants are actually visible when the rider is on the move. The helmet and shoulders are the most visible in oncoming traffic, and all too often the shoulders will be some darker color, meant to contrast with the high-viz torso and arms! High-viz gear will unquestionably help with traffic to your sides and behind you, but I think a high-viz helmet is significantly more valuable than a jacket, and a modulated (flashing) headlight is more valuable than either, from the front. I'm of the opinion that learning solid skills and practicing them regularly will contribute far more to healthy and longevity than gear alone. By skills, I mean more than just stopping and turning, I also mean the ability to read traffic and maintain focused awareness of absolutely everything around you. By the way, my favorite piece of gear is my one-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter. Some elements of the design are getting outdated, but I'm literally able to put it on or take it off in under ten seconds, and the one-piece design means I always wear full protection. I would choose a different two-piece for touring, but for everyday riding, the Roadcrafter is hard to beat.
  - lancewiggs 15y ago
    We could go back and forth - but essentially we are in agreement. I've ridden around the world in crazy situations, and still get surprised at what traffic can do. The awareness and skills are paramount. High viz only works when you can see it, and great riding suits are worth the incredible expense. An upright posture on the right bike will get you seen pretty easily, especially at night. Police (at least in most countries) generally do a great job of being seen and protected.
cubicle67 15y ago
Yes, wear protective gear. Always Go outside and have a good look at the surface of the road. Remember when you were a kid, how much it hurt if you were running and fell and skinned your knees? Now imagine running flat out and diving face first onto the road - feel the asphalt tearing your legs and arms Now imagine the same thing, but this time you're travelling at 30mph The difference between having large amounts of your skin literally ripped away and replaced with deeply embedded rocks and dirt (and quite possibly several weeks in hospital) and just getting up again and continuing on your way? Boots, helmet, gloves and leathers
- sliverstorm 15y ago
  To contribute to the part about skin ripping away- when your speed is great enough, and thereby the friction and the heat... your skin does something called "sheeting". That is to say, it just comes off in sheets, like how you take off your t-shirt. Fun, huh?

lancewiggs 15y ago

I emphasize that enough - riding after any alcohol is temporary citizenship. But aside from not drinking or rising like an idiot the biggest thing we motorcyclists can do to increase our safety is to wear a high visibility jacket. It creates a noticeable difference in the percentage of other road users that see you, which addresses the major cause of accidents. Protective gear is a last resort - it's better to avoid the accident in the first place. The best protective gear is the stuff you wear, so for short trips if you are tempted to leave the heavy gear behind, at least throw on a light flouro jacket.

mkopinsky 15y ago
Temporary citizenship? Is this some idiom I'm not familiar with?
- kgermino 15y ago
  Early death.
  - mkopinsky 15y ago
    In that sense, all citizenship is temporary. Only a question of _how_ temporary. :-)
georgieporgie 15y ago
I'm going to disagree with you, somewhat. I see increasing numbers of riders with high-visibility gear. I've always been a fan, so I'm happy to see it. However, I've noticed that, more often than not, very little of the jacket/pants are actually visible when the rider is on the move. The helmet and shoulders are the most visible in oncoming traffic, and all too often the shoulders will be some darker color, meant to contrast with the high-viz torso and arms! High-viz gear will unquestionably help with traffic to your sides and behind you, but I think a high-viz helmet is significantly more valuable than a jacket, and a modulated (flashing) headlight is more valuable than either, from the front. I'm of the opinion that learning solid skills and practicing them regularly will contribute far more to healthy and longevity than gear alone. By skills, I mean more than just stopping and turning, I also mean the ability to read traffic and maintain focused awareness of absolutely everything around you. By the way, my favorite piece of gear is my one-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter. Some elements of the design are getting outdated, but I'm literally able to put it on or take it off in under ten seconds, and the one-piece design means I always wear full protection. I would choose a different two-piece for touring, but for everyday riding, the Roadcrafter is hard to beat.
- lancewiggs 15y ago
  We could go back and forth - but essentially we are in agreement. I've ridden around the world in crazy situations, and still get surprised at what traffic can do. The awareness and skills are paramount. High viz only works when you can see it, and great riding suits are worth the incredible expense. An upright posture on the right bike will get you seen pretty easily, especially at night. Police (at least in most countries) generally do a great job of being seen and protected.

cubicle67 15y ago

Yes, wear protective gear. Always Go outside and have a good look at the surface of the road. Remember when you were a kid, how much it hurt if you were running and fell and skinned your knees? Now imagine running flat out and diving face first onto the road - feel the asphalt tearing your legs and arms Now imagine the same thing, but this time you're travelling at 30mph The difference between having large amounts of your skin literally ripped away and replaced with deeply embedded rocks and dirt (and quite possibly several weeks in hospital) and just getting up again and continuing on your way? Boots, helmet, gloves and leathers

sliverstorm 15y ago
To contribute to the part about skin ripping away- when your speed is great enough, and thereby the friction and the heat... your skin does something called "sheeting". That is to say, it just comes off in sheets, like how you take off your t-shirt. Fun, huh?