Commonwealth v. Guest

The defendant in each case appeals from his conviction of failing to wear protective headgear while operating a motorcycle, as required by G. L. c. 90, § 7, first par., the third from last sentence. We reject the defendants’ new bases (see Commonwealth v. Howie, 354 Mass. 769, cert. denied, 393 U.S. 999 [1968]; Commonwealth v. Cowan, 4 Mass. App. Ct. 796 [1976]) for claiming that provision to be invalid.

1. Equal protection. The requirement of protective headgear for a motorcyclist but not for a rider of a “[m]otorized bicycle . . . which is capable of a maximum design speed of no more than…