Motorcycle Safety Pearls of Wisdom By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. Categories: Articles, Education, Riding Attire, Cagers, Editorial, Riding Your Motorcycle Always assume other drivers can't or don't see you. Just because a driver is looking at you, doesn't mean that the driver sees you.  Always assume other drivers are going to do something wrong or stupid. Try to avoid being one of the  "other" drivers! Drivers making a left turn are the most dangerous. Rush hour drivers all feel that their time is more important than your life. All drivers think it is safe to pull out of their driveways without looking. The likelihood that a driver will make a sudden left turn or lane change increases dramatically as you prepare to pass. On one-way streets, it is the driver in the furthest right lane who will most need to make a left turn. Every intersection is a race for your life. Remember: At the turn of the 20th century there were only two cars in all of Kansas and they collided at an intersection! Basically, assume that all drivers are out on the road trying to kill you. Submitted for your consideration -  Rep. Bill Janklow of South Dakota! Never let anyone convince, coerce, or shame you into riding without a helmet if that's your choice. There is no ride straight enough, short enough, or slow enough to be safe. I've seen riders killed while standing still at a stoplight when they were knocked over and hit their heads on the pavement. Never get in a hurry. Never be afraid to slow down. Better to avoid an accident than to be in one. Superior riders use superior knowledge and superior experience to avoid situations that require superior skill. Never ride when you are too tired, hungry, or thirsty. You can pay attention or you can pay an undertaker. Never argue with an 18-wheeler, especially around interstate on ramps. The longer you take to pass an 18-wheeler, the more likely it is that one of its tires will explode just as you pass along side Never be too proud to unlearn an old habit. Never be too proud to take a motorcycle-training course. Just because you knew how to ride a 175cc when you were 19 doesn't mean you know how to ride a "Fat Boy" at 49. Always ride straight and sober. Keep 8 hours between bottle and throttle. Thirty-one percent of all traffic fatalities and 41% of holiday traffic fatalities involve alcohol. Drivers talking on cell phones are just as dangerous as drunk drivers. Never outrun your headlight. Deer and other animals will always insist on the right of way. Don't just dress for the ride; dress for the fall. There's no satisfaction in being right if you are dead right. Keep less experienced riders near the front and more experienced riders at the back of a group ride. The last rider in a group always has to drive 80 to keep up with a lead rider who is going 65. Never outrun your skill level. Drop out of the group and enjoy the peace and solitude of a solo ride. Slow drivers will always speed up as you try to pass them. Fast drivers will always slow down once they pass and pull in front of you.