RideToArriveTipsOnStayingAliveOnTheRoad

You don't need to have a "holly crap moment" to be a safe rider, in fact those moments only help if you learn something from it and change your riding accordingly. In fact your lack of holy crap moments is most likely telling you that you're doing it right so good for you. I've had a couple of those moments, but thankfully relativly few and I try to learn from them. Just don't get too relaxed and follow these tips. These are more or less in order of importance but that depends on different things

1. Always wear a helmet (no brainer) and preferably decent gear, I'm no gear nazi but if you want to be safe.
2. Never expect a car to do the right thing. Give yourself an out, expect that oncoming car to turn left in front of you with no signal, expect the guy to change lanes into you.
3. Move through areas which limit your option as soon as possible, don't cruise in blind spots next to cars. Pass semis quickly, etc.
4. Intersections allow people to kill you from all four sides. Look before going through them even when green, be ready to dart in between cars/go in the ditch when someone is about to rear end you.
5. Pretend you're invisible, because you pretty much are.
6. never ride beyond 70% or so of your ability, this gives you options to stop or swerve without crashing.
7. Watch the road surface, sand,gravel,oil, water, groves, etc.
8. Be very carfull in wooded areas, especially in turns, for wildlife darting out, they could ruin your whole day (theirs too)
9. Don't ride arround closing time since everyone is drunk.

And remember that going down really sucks, but with decent gear you pretty much always live, usually without serious injury. It isn't untill you hit something hard that it gets really bad, cars, deer, trees all will put a major hurt on you. keep riding safe and avoid the holy crap moments.