Riding is only fun if everyone gets home safely, so I wanted to very briefly share a few essential tips to help keep everyone safe.

Your Choice of Helmet Matters

I really hope that I don’t have to explain why a helmet is important to wear. However, any old helmet won’t do. You need to be sure that the helmet you wear is certified by the Department of Transportation—something that, by definition, isn’t the case for “novelty” helmets. Compliant helmets will have a seal that indicates the approval of the DOT.

Practice Road Etiquette

As a rider, you are inherently more at risk than any other variety of motorist on the road. This means you need to do everything you can to ensure your own safety and that of those around you. While motorcycles are certainly easy to hear, they aren’t always so easy for drivers to spot. Respecting boundaries and otherwise being cognizant of other drivers’ blind spots will help make sure you make it where you are going.

Ride Sober

We’ve discussed the concept of a “dry run” in depth, but it’s important enough to touch on again here: any impairment you may be experiencing should be considered a disqualifier from riding until you have recovered fully. As great as it is to ride, it isn’t worth the consequences.

Like we said, riding is only fun if everyone makes it home in one piece. Take these tips to heart, because they can certainly make a difference.