Motorcycle Week and Head Injuries

Ed Van Dorn

Contributor

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Every June New Hampshire has motorcycle week. This is where thousands of motorcycle riders come to the state to celebrate all things motorcycle. It's a great sight to be riding on one of our rural highways and see a hundred or so motorcycle riders coming down the road in unison. The vast majority of bike riders these days are law abiding and careful. Many of them seem to be approaching senior citizen status and the pilgrimage to New Hampshire in June is something they've been doing for years. This year the bike rally is celebrating its 84th year.

But unfortunately every year there are tragic accidents associated with this otherwise joyful event. New Hampshire is known as the live free or die state. We even have it on our license plates. In that spirit our laws often take the attitude that people should be responsible for themselves without the law telling them what to do. For example New Hampshire is the only state without a mandatory seat belt law for adults. It also has no motorcycle helmet law. Now you don't need an advanced medical degree to figure out that if you're in a motorcycle accident where your head hits the pavement (like most motorcycle accidents) without a helmet the chance of receiving a serious head injury sky rocket. But nevertheless some riders want to "live free or die". Well maybe in the case of motorcycle riders the slogan should be "live free or live like a vegetable" or "live free and have somebody spoon feed you pabulum for the rest of your days, because this is what can happen when you receive a serious head injury because you didn't wear a helmet." Its not death you are taking a chance for, it's a head injury that may incapacitate you for the rest of your life.

So to all those riders out there enjoy this terrific week but please for your own sake wear a helmet.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.