There are some important steps you can take to avoid life's unpleasantries. If you don't sleep in the open range, nor live in cattle country, chances are the first scenario is not going to happen to you. The meteor, or course, is a crapshoot. A motorcycle death, on the other hand, is preventable!

If you take the following steps, you will drastically reduce your chances of being seiously injured or killed on a motorcycle:

• Take the MSF class- this is the single most important step for a beginner, or even someone with previous biking experience. In fact, I would even recommend it for riders who have experience, if they've never been to one. MSF stands for Motorcycle Safety Foundation, a national, nonprofit organization promoting the safety of motorcyclists with programs in rider training, operator licensing, , and public information. For the course nearest you , call 1-800-447-4700.
• Always wear protective equipment-Helmet, protective clothing, gloves, sturdy riding boots, eye protection, these are all important. Many people have been seriously injured and killed while riding unprotected doing 10 mph on a bicycle. It's extremely foolish to get on a motorcycle without the proper gear. Check this out!
• Try to be visible-Most people who hit motorcyclists say the same thing "But officer, I didn't know he was there! I just didn't see him!" Wear bright clothing. Ride with your high-beam on. Position yourself correctly in the lane you are riding in. Anything you can do to increase your visibility will increase your chances.
• Practice-Practice-Practice- after you've taken the MSF course, find a safe area to ride and practice everything you've learned. In an emergency situation, your chances of executing the proper actions are totally dependant upon how well ingrained those skills are.
• Always ride within your limits-You don't have to prove "nothing to nobody". Know your capabilities, then stay within them. Over time, your abilities will improve and you can "push the envelope" a bit at a time, but there's no hurry. Besides, there's no rule that you have to learn how to corner at 90 mph. Not everyone rides like that. You don't have to split freeway traffic if your not comfortable doing that. Know your bike, your limits, stay cool, and you'll be fine.
• Never ride when you aren't feeling 100%-your brain and your reflexes are the key to survival. If you aren't able to give your riding your full concentration, or you're sick, or just plain bone tired, take the car, or better yet take a nap.
• Always use SIPDE when riding- MSF teaches a concept called SIPDE. It stands for SCAN--IDENTIFY--PREDICT--DECIDE--EXECUTE. It is a mental process which when used correctly and repeatedly develops into a habit. A habit which will keep you alive.
• Accept "Randy's Rule of Responsibility". You've heard of Murphy's Law, which states "Anything that can go wrong will". Well, Randy's rule of responsibility states that "Anything that happens to you while you're on your bike is your responsibility". It doesn't matter what it is, it is your responsibility. This may sound harsh, but until you are ready to accept that, you are not ready to ride. There is practically no accident scenario that cannot be avoided if you are alert, ride properly, position yourself in the traffic and in your lane properly, know your bike and how to handle it in all situations, remain totally aware of your surroundings, including front, sides, and rear, and use your brain. Sure, an airplane could drop an engine on you from above, but let's be practical. That's not realistic. You know the hazards before you get on the bike. You know people can't see you. You should assume that absolutely no-one on the road sees you, and ride accordingly. You should assume that everyone is going to turn in front of you, cut you off, merge into your lane, or slam on their brakes in front of you, and then you won't be surprised when it happens. You will already have your response prepared, and you will make the correct response, because you are aware of the traffic around you and you can handle your bike sufficiently to perform the necessary manuever. Some of you scoff, you say, "Hey, you're riding down the road minding your own business when all of a sudden some idiot doing 100 mph runs you down from behind". I say, "why didn't you see him in your rear view mirror and swerve to the shoulder or an open lane?" You should be scanning for things like that. Or another good one, " The car was parked and it just jumped out into me without looking!! Hey, sometimes people do stupid stuff like that. You can lessen the possibility of this happening to you by staying out of the lane next to the parked cars, or riding closer to the center line when there are cars parked to your right. Scan the parked cars for people in the driver's seat. Did their tail lights just come on? Did their front wheels just turn towards the road? There are lots of clues if you scan and remain alert! But Hey you say, "That dude was drunk, and he just ran through the red light, and I couldn't see him coming because there was bushes and trees blocking my view. It wasn't my fault!" Well, you're right, it legally wasn't your fault, but you're dead, or maimed, or crippled for life, and he just has a hangover, and some jail time to face if he's unlucky, or too poor to get a good lawyer. If you had remembered that a blind intersection means SLOW DOWN and BE READY for anything, even if you have a green light, you wouldn't have been hit. You see folks, it's not really fair, but that's the way it is when you're on a bike and you're in an accident. Fault is meaningless. Whether or not someone else pays off your totalled motorcycle or not is meaningless when you're maimed or dead. Even if the other party is 100% legally at fault, that is a small consolation to you. They might lose some points on their driving record, their insurance might go up, or even get cancelled (if they even have it), or if you're real lucky, maybe they'll have nightmares about seeing your body parts on their car, but you're the one who is screwed! Almost anyone who's been in an accident, if they're totally objective and honest with themselves, can come up with something they could have done to prevent it. I know I haven't been riding as long as most, but I do know that every time anything scary has happened, it's because I wan't doing my part. Conversly, there have been many situations where I was doing my job correctly and avoided some scary things. Coincidence? I don't think so.

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