Observation is one of the most essential skills that a motorcyclist must develop. Observation must be combined with concentration and anticipation for maximum benefit. These natural faculties should be developed to the level of skills. Observation means more than just looking - it entails looking at the right thing, intelligently. A motorcyclist should be visible to other road users while also being aware of other road users, not merely to promote general harmony among road users but also as a basis for self preservation.

Stationary traffic suggests thoughtless pedestrian activity. Watch out for traffic swerving around the bus. Parked cars hide children and dogs. Watch for occupant movement and doors that may be opened. Look for exhausted smoke or vibration, and driver movement. Treat cyclists as considerately as you want to be treated. Beware of quick swerves on the approach to parked vehicles. Since cyclists rely on audible warning, give them a light toot if you are closing in quietly.

To see best what lies ahead, correct positioning is important. Always travel at a speed which allows you to stop safely within the distance which you can see clearly. Look ahead to analyse the situation and anticipate the actions of others. Ride in the appropriate gear for the speed so that the engine responds immediately to your throttle. Good riding at all times depends on the correlation between position speed and gear. Also remember that speed affects vision. As you travel faster you focus farther ahead and foreground detail becomes blurred.

In city driving it is possible to watch car drivers in close proximity and anticipate their intentions from a slight movement of the head or hand. If a driver is in animated conversation with his passengers stay as far as possible. His concentration will certainly be diverted from his driving. Movement within the car will warn you that passengers are about to be discharged in your path.

Passengers moving inside a bus indicate that the bus is about to come to a halt. Look underneath the bus for movement of feet, it should warn you of pedestrians about to step onto the street.

Stay well back and do not overtake: the car driver might turn right or be forced to change speed by a vehicle coming out of the minor road. Be aware of the car looming up from behind. Be prepared to move over if it overtakes, but, in this situation, remain to the offside of your lane.

Analyse the road surface carefully at all times. Near bus stops, filling stations, road junctions and other places where vehicles brake to a standstill, tyre rubber and brake dust are deposited, along with drips of oil, making a treacherous surface for the bike rider. When the road is slightly wet (before it has been rinsed by the rain), it takes on a surface like ice. A road which is drying out can be extremely slippery.

Freshly spilled diesel fuel from commercial vehicles is most common around the outside edges of curving traffic lanes. Bus and truck depots are invariably surrounded by heavy deposits of slippery fuel oil. Road signs exist for your safety. The usefulness of road signs is negated if they are not observed, understood and acted upon. Pay attention to signs and markings on the highway and think about what they mean, even if you are thoroughly familiar with the road. Read the road in all its aspects whenever you use it. Treat it with the greatest respect.