1. Riding motorcycles are intrinsically more risky than riding cars or trucks.
 
   a. They lack stability (they must be balanced).
 
   b. They lack protection or armor around you.  You are naked to anything that may hit
       you.
 
   c.  Bikes are not as easily seen as cars ( smaller in size ).
 
   d. Bikes are particularly vulnerable at intersections
 
   e. How safe you are in a car often determines your level of safety and risk avoidance
       on a motorcycle. If you are impatient and exremely aggressive in the car, you’ll be
       the same way on a motorcycle.
 
2. Safety on the road is something that everyone must participate in.  No one factor can
    trigger an accident.  Everyone and everything is involved.

Risk Acceptance

1. Everyone is taking on a certain amount of risk in their life.  You should aware of how
    much risk you’re willing to take as motorcycle rider.  Motorcycle riding is intrinsically
    more dangerous than driving.  You should be aware of this and accept these risks.
 
2. When you become aware of the amount of risk you’re willing to accept, you must take
    the proper precautions to offset as much of that risk as possible.  As a motorcycle
    rider you are more likely to suffer injury, paralysis and death during any skirmish on
    the road.
 
3. You must become aware of what causes crashes.  Many factors go into any accident. 
    Rarely, does a single factor cause an accident.  99% of the time, it’s an accumulation
    of factors that lead to a crash.  Accidents can be prevented and predicted to a large
    degree.
 
4. A number of factors can lead to an accident.  The accumulation of more and more of
    these factors will eventually lead to an accident.  Some factors include:
 
    a. Fatigue
 
    b. Your skill level
 
    c. Speeding relative to road conditions
 
    d. The Condition of your tires
 
    e. Suspension system
 
    f. Traffic on the road
 
    g. Congestion on the road
 
    h. Intersection features of the road
 
    i. Road and the environment
 
    j. Road curve
 
    k. Glare
 
    l. Rider experience
 
    m. Rider level of risk tolerance
 
    n. Inattention
 
6. Good riders should be prepared to maintain a “margin of safety”.  They need to
    minimize the “factors” that can lead to an accident.
 
7. There are hazards during any riding experience.  Be aware of them and proactively try
    to minimize them.  Road debris, sun glare, other traffic, etc..

Risk Management

1. A good motorcyclist can be defined as someone who is constantly looking to minimize
    the risks around them that could potentially lead to a crash or accident.
 
2. To be a good motorcyclist, you must have superior riding skills, experience, a good
    attitude and a well functioning bike.
 
3. A good motorcyclist always has a plan to avoid hazards.  They have a strategy to
    avoid and minimize risks on the road.
 
4. A good motorcyclist is always thinking before acting.  Consider the consequences of
    your actions as a rider.
 
5. Manage your risks as a rider by understanding the existence of all risks on the road
    and looking to then minimize them.  See the potential for problems and then look to
    minimize or avoid them completely.
 
6. Consider your personal “margin of safety”.  Given your riding experience, skill, road
    conditions and traffic, how much time and distance do you need to remain within your
    “comfort of risk”?
 
7. The acronym S.E.E. stands for Search, Evaluate, Execute.  Basically means that you
    need to See or be aware of your environment.  Evaluate this environment in terms of
    safety and risk and then Execute a strategy to minimize and remove potential
    hazards.  Its like creating a series of “what if” scenarios and then evaluating and
    executing a strategy to minimize any “what if” factors that could lead to an accident
    or crash.  Give yourself the proper “time” and “space” or “distance” to be safe.

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