1-8
IF A COLLISION IS IMMINENT, DO
SOMETHING
Many riders fear locking up their brakes
or haven’t learned to swerve to avoid a
crash. Many inexperienced riders (and
too many seasoned riders) use only
their rear brake in an emergency, result-
ing in unnecessary impacts in some
cases and unnecessarily high impact
speeds in other cases. The front and
rear brakes can and should be used
together to maximize braking effective-
ness.
Experienced motorcyclists learn to
“cover” the brake lever by lightly resting
a couple of fingers over the lever when
riding in traffic and near intersections.
Emergency stopping and swerving are
techniques that you should practice and
master before you find yourself in an
emergency situation. The best place to
practice such techniques is in a con-
trolled environment such as the Motor-
cycle Safety Foundation’s (MSF) rider
training courses. The MSF’s Motorcycle
Rider Courses (fundamental tech-
niques) and Experienced Rider
Courses (advanced strategies) present
hands-on instruction of the basic princi-
ples of motorcycling and a variety of
crash-avoidance maneuvers. Even a
seasoned motorcyclist can improve his
or her riding skills, and pick up a few
new skills, through these courses.
Some insurance companies even offer
discounts to course graduates.
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