• Wear proper safety gear and, most importantly, a helmet – no matter how short your trip may be.
• Make sure you can be seen by other motorists. Make it easier for them by wearing reflective clothing, always using turn signals (and perhaps hand signals as well) and keeping your headlight on.
• Even when taking the above precautions, stay alert and assume that other drivers don’t see you — especially at intersections and when making lane changes or passing.
• Be patient. Don’t tailgate, and if someone is tailgating you, get out of their way.
• Don’t ride after drinking or taking any medications that could impair your abilities.

• Again, make sure you’re visible — particularly at dusk. Consider upgrading your headlight or adding other lights to your ride. Is your bike black? What about your clothing? Both will make you more difficult to see at night.
• Your vision needs to be clear, so keep your visor or goggles clean and free from scratches. If you don’t use face or eye protection, consider it.
• Carry a flashlight or other emergency gear with you so a mechanical problem doesn’t leave you stranded — and invisible — on the side of a dark road.

• Keep rain and cold-weather gear handy. Riding isn’t just more enjoyable when you’re warm and dry — it’s safer, too.
• Use extreme caution when it first begins to rain, as the roads are most slick at that point. Pull over and wait if necessary. It’s better to be late than ride in unsafe conditions.