I saw a package on ESPN about Roethlisberger's accident. They interviewed several other players whose lives were altered by motorcycle accidents. Several of them said they didn't have helmets on because there were no laws in place. One of the football players (a former defensive back with the New York Jets) said the only reason he was wearing a helmet was that he was in Georgia and it was state law.
As far as I'm concerned, it's a matter of responsibility. Roethlisberger didn't wear a helmet. He should have. The Steelers should have required him to either put up the bike for good or to wear a helmet in the offseason.
Frankly, I think states should require motorcycle drivers to wear helmets and people to wear seatbelts. The injuries and deaths those two can prevent far outweigh the inconvenience they cause in the minds of those "free spirits." Because Roethlisberger wanted to ride a bike with no helmet for whatever reason, he could have thrown his career away. He's damn lucky to be alive for Pete's sake!
__________________
"What happened to him? I thought he was ... here/Through the eyes of love, I saw him through his tears/I saw him smile, I saw him move on/Like a ghost through the fog ... the ghosts are gone."
|