- April 22, 2024
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As the Biketoberfest crowd grows older, local hospitals are seeing an influx of non-bike related incidents during the popular four-day event.
Halifax Health reported a total of 34 trauma admissions from Oct. 19 to Oct. 22, 12 of which were motorcycle crashes. The hospital also reported the median age of patients admitted that weekend was 55. In 2016, the median age of patients admitted during Biketoberfest was 44, though the numbers fluctuate between late 40s and mid-fifties in the years before that.
According to the American Motorcycle Association, the average age of their members in 2016 was 48.
Halifax Health was not the only hospital who is seeing an age increase in patients during bike week. Kevin Captain, nurse manager for the emergency department at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach, said they're seeing older bikers admitted into their facility as well, coming in with medical problems beyond bike accidents.
“When they come in from out of town, they’re here to ride their bike but sometimes that’s also when their healthcare needs might come into play," Captain said.
Rob Love, Halifax Health's emergency department director, said they're seeing more bikers come in due to Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure during the event weekend. To deal with the increase of patients, both hospitals staff up as much as possible. Halifax Health also makes sure to have trauma teams on hand to deal specifically with Biketoberfest-related incidents.
According to Halifax Health's data on patient admission during bike week, the hospital saw 13 Biketoberfest-related trauma team activations. Only one person died.
The hospital also reported 33.3% of the riders were wearing helmets, which representatives in both hospitals said was a crucial factor in staying safe while participating in Biketoberfest.
Love said many of the motorcycle accidents they see are the fault of a driver not paying attention to the motorists on the road. It's one of the reasons he as a biker refuses to drive his motorcycle in the Daytona Beach area. During Biketoberfest, Love said people need to be even more aware of their surroundings due to the increase of bikers on the road.
“Growing up, your parents always told you to be a defensive driver," Love said. "Well, you need to be a defensive driver on steroids.”
