I recently received a call from a man who was at a funeral home saying goodbye to his son. To say that this call was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” would be a serious understatement. Prior to this call, I was already feeling overwhelmed, emotional and angry about the devastation I see in the Colorado biker community, which faces an unacceptable number of accidents, injuries and deaths on our roads.
Then, this father called me. I have two sons and I couldn’t – I can’t – seem to keep my professional distance any longer. I knew that I had to do more than just help these victims and their families after their accidents; I wanted to make them safer so that they don’t get hurt in the first place. Additionally, I’m also tired of seeing bikers get the ticket after every accident, even when they are clearly the victim of another driver’s negligence. The discrimination that bikers face in our legal system is rampant!
I’m tired of seeing bikers get the ticket after every accident, even when they are clearly the victim of another driver’s negligence.
So, I decided to start a new organization aimed at promoting biker safety and fighting biker discrimination. It’s called Rider Justice and I’m proud to announce that it is now launched, live and ready to help bikers!
What is Rider Justice?
In a nutshell, Rider Justice fights biker discrimination and promotes safer roads for motorcyclists. If we’re successful, there will be fewer bikers hurt and killed on Colorado roads, auto drivers will be more aware of and respectful of bikers, and bikers won’t receive as many undeserved traffic tickets.
Here are the ways that Rider Justice fights for biker safety and equality:
1) Standing Up for Bikers
Free Traffic Ticket Support: We help motorcyclists fight the traffic tickets they receive, no matter who is supposedly at fault. We have seen too many motorcyclists receive the ticket when it’s the other guy’s fault or when the biker was doing nothing wrong. (We do not defend DUI or felony cases; we can refer bikers to criminal counsel who will work for a discount.)
Free Insurance Review: We have found that the majority of bikers are underinsured and may even receive bad advice from their insurance agents. We review riders’ insurance for free and help them work with their agent to get the coverage they need.
Legislative/Policy Advocacy: We work with lawmakers and like-minded organizations to create and support bills that make our roads safer for riders.
2) Educating the Community
Trainings: We host training events for both bikers and auto drivers. These trainings, hosted around the community and in motorcycle dealerships, cover everything from accident scene management to insurance reviews to motorcycle awareness.
Community Strength: We host events that foster the brotherhood and sisterhood of the motorcycle culture and community.
Raising Awareness: We regularly post articles on topics that are relevant to bikers and to anyone who cares about road safety in Colorado. Additionally, we developed The Denver Accident Map to raise awareness about the unacceptable level of accidents on Denver’s roads.
3) Giving Back to Bikers
We support organizations that do good in the biker community, including BikerDown, ABATE and CORD.
Ultimately, I also plan to launch a Rider Hit-and-Run Tip Line, offering a reward for tips leading to the arrests of people who hit riders and take off.
Wish Us Luck!
So, there you have it! I’m very excited about this new endeavor and about the impact that we could make on rider safety and rider rights in Colorado. If you have any thoughts, questions or suggestions for me as we begin this new journey, I’d love to hear from you. And please visit RiderJustice.com often!
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