Final answer:
New Hampshire law requires motorcycle riders and passengers to wear helmets until a certain age, aiming to protect individuals and reduce the risk of injury, similar to how other safety equipment and laws, like the minimum drinking age, are designed for public safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
NH law mandates that operators and/or passengers on a motorcycle must wear an approved protective helmet up to a certain age to ensure safety and reduce the risk of head and nervous system injuries. Unfortunately, this specific question does not include the actual age requirement, which means that I cannot provide the exact age without looking up current NH motorcycle helmet laws.
However, the principle behind such laws is to provide protection much like how bicycle helmets help prevent head injuries, which could lead to lifelong disability as noted in Figure 11.46.2. Similarly, safety helmets, as mentioned in Figure 10.9, emphasize the importance of safety equipment in various settings like construction sites where the risk of injury is high.
The concern for safety and responsible behavior is echoed in legislation such as the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which set the minimum drinking age to twenty-one and incentivized states with federal highway funds. These examples illustrate the overarching public health principle that laws regulating individual behavior, such as helmet mandates and minimum drinking age, are enacted to promote safety and well-being.