Every once in a while, an idea comes along that's so smart yet so simple that it's hard to believe it's not been done already. The best of these are often not new technology, just a new way of using things we have already.
Whoever invented the helmet probably thought the same thing the first time a sword was swung at their head. More recently, British neurosurgeon Sir Hugh Cairns was so moved by the death of his patient T.E. Lawrence - "Lawrence of Arabia" - after a motorbike accident in 1935, that his research is credited with making that wartime headgear a legal requirement for motorcycling, saving untold lives over the years.
Motorcyclists are at least three times more likely than anyone else on the road to be in a fatal accident, says Britain' s Department of Transport, so if there's something you can do to improve your odds of survival, why not do it?
The first thing to look at is your riding. If you've been doing it for any length of time, you've probably picked up bad habits you're not even aware of. The problem is that when we do something a bit risky and get away with it, we'll do it again. Over time, this sneaks up on us until our perception of risk is so corrupted that we think we're safe doing things like filtering through stationary traffic at 50km/h.
Yet being aware of danger is little help when you can't get out the way in time. So bike maintenance is another layer in your defences. A glance each week will give you an idea of what's likely to need fixing.