by Vinny Knowles

Created on: December 26, 2008   Last Updated: January 06, 2009

"Officer, I never saw him! He seemed to appear out of nowhere!" Police officers hear similar remarks from car drivers involved in accidents with motorcycles all the time. The cyclist was in the cars blind spot. Defensive driving courses can prepare you for this situation and numerous others that could endanger you life while riding your bike.

Choosing to operate a motorcycle is a decision that must be made responsibly. There are many legal and safety issues to be considered. A good way to prepare yourself to operate such a vehicle is to enroll in a motorcycle defensive driving course. They make you aware of dangerous situations to avoid when operating the vehicle. Secondly, many states will wave the driving test if you have completed the course. Having taken the course, many motorcycle insurance companies offer as much as a 10% discount on your insurance.

Learning to drive your motorcycle defensively is for your own well being. Statistics show that 5% of all highway accidents with fatalities are accidents with motorcycles. That doesn't sound like a very high figure until we consider that only 2% of the vehicles on the road are motorcycles.

The motorcycle is not designed to give the protection offered by the car. 80% of motorcycle accidents involve injuries or death. For automobiles, it is only 20%. Responsible operation, close attention to details in driving defensively, and upkeep of the bike is vitally important for the safety of the driver of a motorcycle.

Many community colleges have courses in motorcycle safety and defensive driving. Harley Davidson offers a course called "The Rider's Edge". The American Motorcycle Association has a defensive driving course as well.

North Carolina's DMV has a Motorcyclists Handbook that is available online in PDF form. It informs you of important laws of which you need to be aware, how to get your motorcycle endorsement, as well as some defensive driving tips.

Cyclists must make their presence obvious. They should wear brightly colored jackets and ride with their lights on at all times. It can even be helpful to put a colored flag on the back of the bike.

Driving intoxicated is a deadly mistake on a motorcycle. Studies have shown that 50% of all deaths in single vehicle motorcycle accidents involve intoxicated drivers. Driving this piece of equipment involves coordination, skill and agility. These skills of precision are not possible in a drunken state.

Proper equipment and clothing is vitally important as well. When a bike skids

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