Today, I have a steel bar in my femur from a motorcycle accident, and I am reminded of the famous saying that motorcyclists often quote “some have been down and some will be.” And what that means is that there are those who have been in motorcycle accidents, and those who will be in the future, and those are the only two types of motorcyclists, and there is no third type.

When you’re young and restless, you think that it can’t happen to you, and those who are very careful with motorcycles also sometimes feel that they are safe, or immune to accidents. Do not fool yourself. However, if you want to survive an accident or avoid most accidents, then you must be 100% safe when riding a motorcycle, and you should probably read up on it, as well as practice the safety skills that you learn.

In fact, to help you with this, there is a very good brochure that I would like to recommend, and it is one that sits on my bookshelf at home, even though I don’t currently have a motorcycle. The name of the brochure is;

“Motorcyclists Course – Reading and Street Skills” (student workbook), by MSF Motorcycle Safety Foundation, (2000) Eighteenth Printing.

As you can see, since this booklet has been in print for 18 years in a row, it is obviously a much-needed book. Fortunately, it is very easy to read and is divided into chapters dealing with motorcycle riding pleasure, preventative maintenance, and motorcycle control. There are also chapters on the proper attitude and state of mind, along with the reasoning behind wearing hard hats, leather jackets, and other safety gear.

There is also information about inspecting your motorcycle and I think this is just as important as if you were pre-flighting an airplane. Many injuries occur when a motorcycle barely moves or is stationary. There is a right way and a wrong way to get on and off a motorcycle. It is even more critical when carrying passengers. In this booklet, you’ll learn turning, stopping, gear shifting, visibility, street strategies, and more advanced maneuvers.

There are also warnings about the use of alcohol and drugs and proper etiquette with other motorcyclists. This section that I think everyone should read is the one dealing with special writing situations, such as carrying cargo, passengers, traveling on black ice, or in windy or rainy conditions. Trust me, if you ride a motorcycle, you have to pay attention to stay alive. Please consider all this.