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Motorcyclists Give Me Nightmares
Last week, I was at a conference in St. Louis, sitting in a circle among several state head injury administrators, when the topic of helmet laws came up. Several of them commented that the helmet law had been repealed in their state, and the room filled with groans and smirks. Everyone in brain injury knows that a lack of helmet law means certain death for a large number of people, and a lifetime of severe disability for an even larger number.
In my job, I’ve had my share of evaluations involving motorcyclists, and they are never easy to sit through. It’s tough to encounter a person who could have easily avoided a serious TBI by simply donning a hundred dollar helmet. Many of them are burdened by tens of thousands of dollars in hospital bills, and their futures will never involve a motorcycle ride again. Just how important is it to ride around without a helmet?
Now recent reports have surfaced about the increase of motorcycle fatalities–and that means some people may finally be willing to listen. It’s time to rally once more with your local Brain Injury Association and beg them to begin a helmet initiative. Also, for those who want to ride on a motorcycle, you need to make sure to secure a motorcycle learners permit to ensure that you have the proper knowledge on driving this.
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