Try this...

 

I ride safely and usually go out of town. I did install the Bright-***-Light which is a flasher lead BRIGHT *** brake light (http://brightasslights.com/) and have my rear turn signals as red run and break lights. I always ride and think of a way out if something happens. I ride on the inside lane closest to the meadian so I'm out of the way of side streets. I pay attention. Riding is like flying an airplane, flying is considered as constant corrections to course, speed, altitude, etc., same thing with motrocycles, I always look for proper seperation, speed and most important, pre-ride inspection, just like a pre-flight inspection.

All you can do before you take to the streets will pay off. Pay attention out there and ride safely and always have a way out.

 

I've got a draft that I will post in a few weeks that I call "Getting back home alive."

I have ridden since 1956 without even a close call. I am writing it to share the strategies that I believe got me back home.

 

The most effective motorcycle safety equipment we have is between our ears. I never ride next to or in the blind spot of a cage (whenever possible) and always look for and have an "out" when being encroached upon (said out is usually straight ahead with extra throttle.) With that said, sometimes no amount of defensive riding will help - I've been painfully launched once when I t-boned an elderly driver's trunk. On a beautiful summer day, she "never saw me" on her left turn.

 

Be visible and conspicuous to other drivers.....

I came very close to rear ending a guy at night once because he was wearing all black with no reflective material, on a bike with no reflectors and a low mounted tail light. He was pretty much invisible until I was just a few feet behind him against a background of bright car tail lights. I saw the car in front of him stop, from way back, but did not see there was a guy on bike between me and the stopped car, in the darkness, until the very last minute. IMO low, dim or side mounted tail lights are an invitation to get rear ended at night - drivers' attention is naturally focused on the reflectors and super bright car tail lights that are 3ft off the pavement, not looking for a golf ball sized, dimly, glowing light floating 8inches above the road surface. I gets worse if you are wearing all black and no reflective material because all they will see, even if they look really hard from any distance, is that dim tail light of your bike. They won't see the motorcycle or the rider on it, just the tail light.

I've read Hi Vis gear gear wearers are 30% less likely to get smucked by a car than riders wearing dark colors during daylight hours.

 

How about putting those Styrofoam orange ***** on your antennas ?

 

I agree with 2Black1s, but the other then I did is looked for statistics on what are the major causes of motorcycle fatalities, with this information I can prepare my situational awareness.
1. Cagers turning left in front of motorcycle.
2. drinking and driving
3. Ability, and experience.
4. predicting what the other drivers next move is going to be!
5. driving conditions, i.e. knowing the road ahead of you!

I have lots O lights, wear reflective clothing, have the loud pipes, and horn.
But I follow the 5 above practices first!

 

Mostly, what I do to stay alive is to try to stay out of harm's way...
I will not and do not hang in traffic as that's generally where the **** happens.
That means I usually am percieved as being reckless cause I ride fast, as I try to stay out of harm's way..and rarely concede..
I generally ride in a state of heightened awareness..
Oh, and by all means be seen and be heard!!!

 

Awareness at all times. Try not to ride tired and never drink. Don't depend on my upgraded horn but I use it a lot. Cager waiting to turn gets a beep beep even when they are looking right at me. Rather be obnoxious then....

 

Got a new tour pak accessory that seems to help.