Yes, a riving knife does help prevent kickback. A riving knife is a thin piece of metal or plastic that fits between the blade and back fence of your saw. It's designed to keep the wood from binding on the blade and flexing as it passes through, which can cause dangerous kickback. The riving knife helps guide the wood safely through, keeping it straight and less likely to bind or deflect off the blade. Additionally, having a true zero clearance insert with a splitter above it provides an extra level of safety by preventing any gap from forming around your cut line and allowing material to pinch against your blade—the primary cause of most kickbacks.