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Motorcycle Crashes – How Do You React? By Don Enninga

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By Don Enninga

  • 191,403 registered motorcycles in Colorado in 2019
  • 1965 motorcycle crashes in 2019
  • 1361 motorcycle injury crashes in 2019
  • 96 motorcycle fatal crashes in 2019
  • 1022 motorcycle crashes were non intersection in 2019
  • 595 motorcycle crashes were intersection related in 2019
Don Enninga

We don’t really think of motorcycling in terms of numbers like these.  We tend to see what we enjoy as living in our own little bubble until reality hits us in the face.  Now, reality can be in the form of being involved in a crash or witnessing one.  Hopefully you have not experienced either one but the truth of the matter is that you probably will in your riding career.

There has been way too many reports of motorcycle crashes in 2020 and far too many serious injuries and death.  The latest one I saw in the news was an Aurora Police Department off duty officer that died in an intersection crash when a driver failed to yield the right of way and turned left in front of her at an intersection.  We all need to watch out for motorcycles when driving as they have a very small “footprint” on the highway.  I have had instances in my own life where I almost failed to see someone riding a motorcycle so I work constantly to make sure I look twice to save a life! 

Rider Justice and BikerDown Foundation sponsor classes thru out the year.

When the unthinkable crash happens, how do you react?  Do you provide care? How will that look? What is safe, what will put you in danger?

Taking an Accident Scene Management course can provide you the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions and do the best you can in a tough situation.  Avoiding being hurt or killed and keeping the victim and those around you safe is kind of important!  Look around:  What will harm or kill you?    Scene safety is just one of many valuable skills offered in the ASM Bystander Assistance course.

Imagine this if you will: It’s a great day for a ride and you with several friends have put on a couple hundred miles when a deer vaults out of the trees into one of the motorcycles who was 20 yards in front of you.  The impact is on the front end of the bike causing the rider, who has leathers and a helmet on, to be thrown violently onto the pavement and skid down the highway stopping in the middle of the road.  You are able to hit the brakes, avoid the motorcycle and deer and stop in time to avoid running into the rider who is lying motionless.  You have thought about taking some kind of first aid or maybe an Accident Scene Management class but have not “taken the time”. 

If this picture strikes a nerve or you feel a bit rusty on trauma skills you may have learned at some point in the past, then it’s time to act, find an Accident Scene Management class and learn the skills you need to manage a motorcycle crash scene.   The $85 cost of a class is a small price to be able to feel confident and manage a situation that calls for calm thinking and decisive action for the best outcome.  In Colorado, there have been and will be opportunities to take an ASM class that is sponsored by Scott O’Sullivan from Rider Justice and BikerDown.  Both of these great organizations have dedicated the resources needed to help motorcyclists get the training to properly manage the injured rider on a crash scene. The best part is their sponsorship will reduce the cost to you by half or more depending on the class and location.   

It’s been great to have bikes back on the road but that does increase the chances of crashes and injury.  With the Covid 19 virus and the restrictions on contact, wearing of masks, smaller class sizes and issues with appropriate venue size for classes to allow for social distancing, planning of classes is more difficult but not impossible.  Contact Rider Justice, BikerDown or myself and we will be happy to schedule a class for you and your group.  Even though 2020 quickly turned upside down, here’s to life getting back to the point of normal, whatever that will be and we are able to provide you, the motorcycling community, with the tools necessary to react and treat the biker who has crashed.                  

Ride free and ride safe!

Don is the Colorado instructor for ASM Road Guardians and a Colorado Rider News motorcycle safety contributor

* 2019 Most report

Accident Scene Bystander Assistance Class

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By Chere Martin, Community Liaison for Rider Justice

There is absolutely no question that bikers are getting injured in Colorado at alarming rates. Certainly, distracted driving by car drivers on the road is one big reason for the disastrous statistics, but no matter the reason for the wreck, the result is the same: A biker is down and probably seriously injured.

[Read more…] about Accident Scene Bystander Assistance Class

What Kind of Learner are You?

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By: Don Enninga, ASM Instructor/ABATE of Colorado Northeast Coordinator

Some people love the online learning options available in so many courses today. Others prefer to sit in a face-to- face in person class and still other may prefer a combination of the two. Time, cost and your preferences will lead Enninga you to the type of course that best fits your needs. Recognizing this, Accident Scene Management has announced a Blended Learning Accident Scene Management Bystander Assistance course. [Read more…] about What Kind of Learner are You?

Prepare Yourself! A Crash Course To Aid The Downed Motorcyclist

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By Don Enninga, ASMI Instructor/ABATE of Colorado Northeast Coordinator

Summer is about half over! Already! Even more than half if you consider kids going back to school in mid-August, the Broncos starting their camp and Sturgis almost here!

The news has had a lot of motorcycle crashes and injury and death, unfortunately. After experiencing an incident while driving back from the ABATE state board meeting in Gunnison recently, it’s a wonder that there aren’t more tragedies involving motorcycles and vehicles.

We were not riding this time, too much stuff to take, but it didn’t stop the crazy drivers out there from almost causing us to have a crash! Case in point, a Cadillac SUV from Texas went flying around us, immediately swerved into our lane and hit the brakes to make a right turn. Between a quick, and loud, warning from Kristi and an instant reaction on my part (didn’t have time to think about it) we were able to take evasive action to the left without hitting this idiot, having a head on with other traffic or getting rear ended by the person behind us. God was guiding this situation. This may or may not have had a bad outcome if we were riding instead of driving. People driving do stupid things which can be made much worse on a bike. I hope and pray that all riders are safe and able to avoid those who may not see us or who cause crashes by their careless actions.

Accident Scene Management

That takes me to a familiar theme: Accident Scene Management and the Bystander Assistance Course that teaches motorcyclists how to safely manage a motorcycle crash scene, assess and treat the injured and interact with EMS when they arrive. This one-day class is based on the national First Responder curriculum and prepares students to handle the unexpected when riding. It’s amazing how a person can react with the proper training and education to provide safe and effective first aid. Don’t let yourself be in the situation when something happens that you don’t know what to do. Take an ASMI class through ABATE of Colorado!

Scheduling for Fall 2018 – Spring 2019 for ASMI classes is ongoing, so, as you decide that this would be a huge benefit to you and your group, getting your class on the schedule sooner rather than later will ensure that your needs can be met. Generally, a Saturday works well for most people, but classes can be scheduled on the occasional Sunday, or an afternoon into an evening class.

Space considerations

The ASMI course requires a space large enough for the number of students to sit and do their skills, a place to project the course material on a screen, and related equipment. There may also be a need to provide lodging and travel expenses depending on class location and timing.

The Accident Scene Management class is $75 per student, but there may be options to help reduce the cost to students. One idea is to get a sponsor for the class to help pay part of the cost. For instance, if you could get a business or individual to sponsor $25 or $50 of each student attending, that would cut down the cost for each person. There may possibly be foundations or other entities that might be willing to provide grant funding to assist with class costs too.

Make it happen

Inquiries for setting up classes can be made at: denninga@kci.net  or by phone at 970-768-5599. ABATE of Colorado, a motorcycle rights organization, has offered many of the classes and can be reached at www.abateofcolo.org or 303-789-3264 office. Act now to get your class scheduled!

BikerDown Hosts Accident Scene Management Classes

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Littleton, CO — On Saturday, March 24th and Sunday, March 25th, BikerDown hosted classes for Accident Scene Management to dozens of area riders to better prepare them should they ever witness an accident. As we know, with Colorado’s dismal statistics for biker fatalities, these classes are desperately needed.

The training sessions were presented by Accident Scene Management, Inc. and our teachers for the day, were certified instructors and medical professionals: Vicki “Spitfire” Sanfelipo, RN/EMT and Don Enninga, EMT-I. Each day of training was a full 8-hours jam packed with gritty and vital information about what can happen at the scene of a motorcycle accident.

The event was sponsored by The O’Sullivan Law Firm which drastically reduced the prices for those who attended. Said Scott O’Sullivan who also attended the sessions, “It is incredibly important that riders everywhere know everything they can should they see another rider go down. I have never had a case where a rider wasn’t severely injured. The more people who know what to do when the worst happens, the better!”

Other gracious sponsors included Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson, Peak Honda World, and Colorado Rider News.

“We now have 50 more riders out there who know how to secure the scene and render aid until EMT or paramedics can get there. This is what BikerDown is all about!” said Laurie Montoya, BikerDown Founder.Accident Scene Management Training Class