REDUCE YOUR SPEED: If something is lying in the road ahead, you may not be able to see it until you are very close to it. If you are going to fast, you may not be able to avoid it. Always drive slower at night than you would during the day, particularly on roads you don't know well.
INCREASE YOUR DISTANCE: No one can judge distance as well at night as during the day. Your eyes rely greatly upon shadows and light contrasts to judge both how far away an object is and how fast it is approaching. These contrasts are missing or distorted under the artificial light available at night. Open up a three second following distance. Also, be sure to give yourself more distance in which to pass.
USE THE CAR AHEAD: If a car is ahead of you, make the most of it. The car's headlights can give you a better view of the road ahead than even your high beam can. And keep an eye on the car's taillights and brake lights. Taillights bouncing up and down can alert you to bumps or rough pavement.
USE YOUR HIGH BEAM: Get all the light you can. Use your high beam whenever you are not following or meeting a car.
USE YOUR LANE WISELY: Be flexible about lane position, changing to whatever portion of the lane is best able to help you see and be seen, and keep an adequate space cushion. For example, riding in the center portion at night is not nearly as dangerous as some people would lead you to believe. Cars seldom pass over a pothole or road debris without some warning, like a flash of brake lights.
BE AWARE OF AWARENESS: When we're riding, we have to anticipate what might happen or what is going to happen. This can only be done if our level of awareness is high. This not only means being aware of what is directly in front of us, but what is further down the road. It also means being aware of what is happening on both sides, and even behind us. This can only be accomplished with a good scanning technique and constant analysis of what is going on around us. It also means being aware of and adjusting for road conditions (ice patches, potholes, railroad tracks, live or dead animals on the road, etc.)
ON TRAFFIC SURVIVAL: If you allow another motorist to knock you down, you'll hear the same thing every time: "I didn't see you." Sometimes the errant driver will look down at you lying miserably crunched under your bent motorcycle and say, "Gosh, I didn't see you. You were coming so fast, and you weren't wearing a neon riding suit, and besides, you didn't have your headlight turned on." Certainly there are occasions when the other driver really couldn't see the motorcyclist but I have a sneaking suspicion that the excuse is mostly a cop out. What do we expect them to say, "I saw you, but decided to knock you down anyway"?
This oft repeated excuse from the "knocker downers" has led some "safety experts" to believe that motorcycles are inconspicuous in traffic. The solution, therefore, is to be more conspicuous. We could wear flamingo pink leathers, for example, and add flashing beacons to our helmets, blind everyone with our high beams, and screw on a Yosemite Sam 'Back Off' mud flap. Most of the high mileage riding friends I know roll their eyes at the conspicuity stuff. "Friends don't let friends wear neon" they sneer.
Perhaps the veterans have a more realistic understanding of the "I didn't see you" myth, and wisely put more faith in things like their front brakes than in bright colors.
Or perhaps they realize that the conspicuity stuff is more of a magic talisman than a safety device. Magic talismans are supposed to ward off evil with no effort on the part of the wearer. conspicuity devices are based on the assumption that the other guy will get out of the way of the motorcyclist, and that's not a smart assumption.
On the other hand, we can't control every situation, and like it or not, we often depend upon other motorists to not run us over.
Motorcycles are narrower and more difficult to see in traffic than automobiles. Other motorists don't always comprehend how rapidly a motorcycle is approaching. And less experienced riders don't know all the tricks of urban traffic. So, there is a case for motorcyclists trying to be a little more visible for the benefit of those drivers on the road who are really trying to avoid collisions. Most importantly, if you are just starting to learn the tactics of traffic survival, you are more dependent upon other drivers to stay out of your way, and you should help them out by being more conspicuous.
Whatever your experience level, you'll have to arrive at a level of conspicuousness that meets your needs and fits your limits of sensibility.
RIDE SAFE