Colorado Powersports
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
By Don Enninga, ASM Lead Instructor & Instructor Trainer
From: www.roadguardians.org: Accident Scene Management is the leading Motorcycle Trauma Training Organization in the world and the only accredited non-profit Bystander Program in the USA. The key to reducing injuries and fatalities to motorcyclists is education. Road Guardians encourages all motorcyclists to become lifelong learners, and to do all they can to avoid a crash from occurring. We go one-step further than many other safety programs – we connect motorcycle trauma first response as part of the solution.
Will you be prepared to help another rider in a time of need? After a crash occurs there is a gap in time of 5-30 minutes before an ambulance arrives. Will you know how to help?
Don Enninga, EMT & Motorcycle Rider says, “I believe motorcycles and education do go hand in hand! Without the education, someone crashes, and then you are left to wonder: How do I manage this motorcycle crash scene? How do I make the scene safe for me and others including the victim? How do I know if he/she is breathing? Do I have the ability to stop serious bleeding? These questions and many more can be answered as you prepare yourself to react when the unimaginable event of a motorcycle crash occurs. How you might ask?”
Very good question! The Accident Scene Management (ASM) course will provide you the answers you seek. How do you take this valuable course? In conjunction with Rider Justice, the Advocacy Arm of The O’Sullivan Law Firm and BikerDown Colorado who provides assistance to injured riders and their families, we are providing two upcoming courses for you and your many riding buddies to take!
Clear your calendar for classes coming up at the Hampton Inn Denver West in Golden, CO in October. On Saturday, October 26, 2019, a level 100 Series Basic Instructor Led Class called “A Crash Course for the Motorcyclist” will be offered. This is our most popular class. Learn what to do in the first 5-30 minutes after a crash until professional help arrives. Fully Instructor Led (IL) by a certified ASM instructor, this 7 hour class (8 with lunch) teaches helmet removal, jaw thrust rescue breathing, moving the injured, controlling bleeding and more. All skills are all taught and practiced.
The 300 Series Instructor Led (IL) “Advanced Bystander Assistance” course will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at the same location. Learn to be a leader at a scene as well as how to assist the EMS when they arrive. Advanced Airway management, Common medical emergencies, assisting the EMS with Extrication, Femoral Traction, role play and more are taught in this 7 hour instructor led class (8 hours with a lunch break). The pre-requisite to attend the Advanced Bystander Assistance course is completing a 100 series class or a Basic Refresher within two years.
How much is a 7-8 hour day of quality motorcycle trauma instruction worth? Normally, these valuable courses are $85 per day to help you be more prepared in the event of an accident. A small investment when it comes to peace of mind as you prepare for the worst while hoping for the best when out riding.
October offers a special, cost-saving opportunity for ASM classes! Rider Justice is subsidizing both of the October courses making them incredibly affordable for riders by sponsoring up to 20 riders per course making their cost only $35 each, a $50 per course savings! Additionally, Rider Justice is making a $10 per registrant donation to BikerDown. If you are a road captain or otherwise frequently ride with others, we encourage you to take full advantage of the Rider Justice sponsorship by taking both the Saturday and Sunday courses.
Great minds think alike! Get all the great minds you know together and come take one or both of these courses. As your Lead instructor, I look forward to working with you to be prepared.
Please contact me at denninga@kci.net or 970-768-5599 or REGISTER NOW at: www.RiderJustice.com/events to make sure you have a spot reserved. Registration is on a first come/first served basis.
This year’s 5th annual Colorado Freedom Festival was an extravaganza like never before! The event’s goal is to gather people to honor military veterans and to thank them for their service. Every year, proceeds go to benefit veteran’s charities. This year, in addition to benefiting The American Soldier Network, this year Freedom Fest also included Colorado Fallen Heroes Foundation, a charity that serves the families of fallen police officers.
Without question, the venue change to Jefferson County Fairgrounds was a great move by Dean Gary, event organizer. JeffCo offered space enough for the crowd and vendors alike to spread out and get comfortable. Thousands of attendees brought lawn chairs or blankets and kicked back across wide swaths of green grass to enjoy the show.
The bands that performed this year were just over the top:
With local bands:
Time between sets was just long enough to make runs to one of the dozens of beer and food vendors. We heard over and over again how great the craft brews tasted!
In fact, so much was better this year because of the additional space that it makes it hard to even compare to past years. Access to food and beverage seemed much more steam-lined and lines so much shorter! The whiskey tasting at the entrance was a treat for all connoisseurs and a sign that the event is growing in sophistication.
At our Rider Justice tent, we collected registrations to give away another customized Yeti cooler. With the heat of summer kicking in the cooler was a hit! We had lots of activity and had a wonderful time meeting new people and spreading the word about our services to the biker community. We handed out buckets of sunscreen to protect the crowd from the blazing sun and even more koozies to help keep their drinks cold!
Next to our booth was BikerDown! Always our favorite non-profit, we were proud to share our space. Wide Open Saloon ran the show by sharing the good work BikerDown does for the community as well as selling raffle tickets for a pristine 2017 Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Wide Open Saloon is giving 100% of the raffle sales to BikerDown. If you missed grabbing raffle tickets at Freedom Fest, don’t worry! Raffle tickets can be purchased online here.
A big “thank you” to Dennis Tye, Lauren Preston, and Russ Young for their generous help at our booth. They have such big hearts and already do so much philanthropic work in our rider community, that we know how lucky we are to receive a bit of their time.
And a big, warm “thank-you” to Dean Gary. It takes heart to put in so much time and energy, year after year, to create an event of this magnitude.
“The biggest impact – the real reason I do this—is to let soldiers know they’re loved,” he says. “When soldiers can stand in a crowd of thousands, where people are hugging them and telling them they are loved… that can save lives. Love can save lives. That’s why we don’t quit after the years I lose money. When someone tells you that they didn’t take their life, nothing can replace that.”
This issue will focus a lot on veterans and their upcoming events up in June. The Freedom Fest, Brotherhood of Veterans, Combat Vets and many more have events that will help our veterans with hands on services and boots on the ground assistance here in Colorado. It has always been my policy to donate and support charities that help actual residents and not send my funds to a charity outside of my local community.
[Read more…] about Honoring Our Military
By: Chomper Montoya
If you are a motorcycle rider who visits Dirty Dogs Roadhouse as much as I do, you surely have to agree that the continued transformation of Dirty Dogs is nothing short of miraculous. Last weekend over Memorial Day weekend, I watched as Mark, Rob and the DD team transformed our local biker bar into a concert venue the likes of which this community hasn’t seen here in Denver at the biker bar level.
[Read more…] about Molly Hatchet Concert Rocked!
“I grew up playing Punch Buggy or Slug Bug, punching my sibling every time we spotted a VW bug,” says Scott O’Sullivan, founder of Rider Justice and owner of The O’Sullivan Law Firm. “I’ve always wanted to create a game for kids that raised awareness of motorcyclists and even bicyclists on the road.”
[Read more…] about Rider Justice Has Created a New Car Game to Raise Awareness of Bikers
When I founded Rider Justice, I had many goals but, first and foremost, I want to make it safer for bikers to ride! We accomplish this through several efforts, including legislative advocacy (let’s end texting and driving!), and also by helping riders make sure they have the right motorcycle insurance (auto drivers don’t carry enough to cover the injuries they cause).
I have met a lot of remarkable people in my life, but right now I stand in awe of Dean Gary, founder and organizer of Freedom Fest, an event that celebrates the men and women who serve in our country’s military forces.
[Read more…] about Freedom Fest: Behind the Scenes
By: Stormy
As a rider who has rode for many years, I have seen my share of friends having accidents. In April, I decided to attend an Accident Scene Management class hosted by BikerDown and Rider Justice, and Executive Director Laurie Montoya asked me to give a rider’s perspective of what I learned in the class. Boy did I learn a lot.
For over three years, I have been working with Colorado Senator Lois Court to make Colorado’s roads safer through legislation to reduce distracted driving. Thankfully, we’re making tremendous progress and 2019 could be an important year in our fight to end texting-while-driving in Colorado. [Read more…] about Preventing Distracted Driving Accidents: I Am the Only Personal Injury Attorney in The Room
