Safe Riding Practices and Hazard Awareness
Most motorcycle crashes are not caused by a lack of skill at the controls - they are caused by a rider who did not see, or was not seen, in time. Build your riding around three habits: see far ahead, be visible, and always have an escape path.
Scanning and space
Look 12–15 seconds ahead in the city and further on the highway, sweeping your eyes rather than staring. Keep a following distance of at least three seconds in good conditions and double it in rain, gravel or darkness. Position yourself so you are not in another driver's blind spot, and never linger beside a large truck - if you cannot see the driver's mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
Hazard recognition
The classic hazards tested are: gravel and sand on corners, painted lines and metal gratings when wet, tar snakes, leaves, and the centre of a lane where oil drips from cars. On a curve, slow before you enter, look through the turn to where you want to go, and roll on the throttle smoothly. Braking hard mid-corner is a frequent cause of a low-side fall.
Impairment, fatigue and weather
Alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs and fatigue all degrade balance and reaction time, and a motorcycle punishes impairment far more than a car does. In rain, reduce speed, increase following distance, and use both brakes gently and progressively.
Worked example: you approach a right-hand corner and see a patch of gravel on your intended line. Correct response: reduce speed before the corner, adjust your line to the cleaner pavement, keep the bike more upright, and avoid sudden braking or throttle changes on the gravel. The trap answer is to brake hard once you are already leaned over.
Rule of thumb: ride as though you are invisible - assume the car at the intersection has not seen you and plan where you will go if it pulls out.