I've been riding motorcycles off and on since 1965. In that time, I've straddled everything from temperamental British roadsters to luxury-laden highway cruisers and full-zoot race bikes to wild and woolly choppers.

I've also come to the conclusion that everyone who drives a car should spend at least a week on a motorcycle. I can think of no better way for motorists to experience, first-hand, just how dangerous and crazy it is out there.

"We try to impress on people that riding a motorcycle can be done safely if you respect the bike, follow the rules of the road and adopt a survival attitude," says Ray Marchant, national co-ordinator of the Canada Safety Council's motorcycle training program.

"We tell people not to stop at the bike. Get the right protective gear and a proper helmet."

Excellent advice. Pity the same thing isn't instilled in car drivers -- because a lot of riders I know these days describe city traffic conditions as akin to Death Race 2000.

Vehicles changing lanes without signalling, trucks pulling out in front of you, cars cutting you off in traffic and drivers who behave as though motorcycles are just not there make you wonder if you're riding in traffic or starring in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film.

Which is why I've come up with a few ground rules I observe every time I ride:

No. 1 on my safety list is to create my own territory when I'm riding -- what Marchant and most other instructors call a "space cushion."

I prefer to ride with one or two other bikes for the heightened visibility it brings but, failing that, I do not allow myself to be surrounded by cars. And if I find myself stuck in a knot of traffic, I get out of it at the first opportunity. Sometimes this may involve speeding or darting around the other cars, but so be it. At least that way, if some contretemps occurs, I'll have no one to blame but myself.

If I am caught up in traffic with no way out, I make a point of being visible. This includes manoeuvring behind cars so drivers can see me in their outside rear-view mirrors. I also like to pull alongside cars so drivers can see me large as life and twice as ugly. I want them to know I'm there.

I allow myself a safety margin in traffic. This usually means not following the car in front too close and keeping an eye out for an escape route.

On the road, I position myself either on the left or right side of the lane. Never the middle, because that's where oil collects. Oil and motorcycles do not mix.

If it's two lanes of traffic going in the same direction -- a freeway, for example -- I position my bike either on the right side of the passing lane or the left side of the curb lane so other vehicles can see me.

If you cling to the left side of the passing lane, you may find yourself suddenly sharing it with someone who has decided to switch lanes. Ditto with the curb lane.

Take up the left side and assume control of it. If it's just one lane of traffic, going each way, I hug the centre line. If it's three or four lanes of high-speed traffic, I basically devote my energies to staying the hell out of the way.

A lot of motorists complain bikers speed and ride aggressively. If we do, it's usually because we have to. If a motorist makes a mistake, chances are nothing will come of it. If a biker makes a mistake, chances are he/she will be paying for it for the rest of their life.

I prefer to characterize my riding habits as proactive. Aggressive, yes, but also 100-per-cent alert and focused. You may not know I'm there, but I know you're there. That knowledge could save my life.

If you're contemplating buying a motorcycle for the first time or haven't ridden in a few years, I strongly recommend you take a training course. I have yet to hear a negative word about the courses offered by the Canada Safety Council.

Remember: It's a jungle out there.