Roethlisberger's Accident Brings Up Important Questions

Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got into a motorcycle accident yesterday morning in downtown Pittsburgh. He suffered a broken jaw, broken nose, a laceration at the back of his head, has several missing or chipped teeth, and is considered to be in serious, but stable condition following his surgery.

Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle. There is not a law in the state of Pennsylvania that requires one to wear a helmet while riding their motorcycle. Head coach Bill Cowher tried talking to Roethlisberger about riding his bike last year. Big Ben seemed stubborn on the concept of wearing a helmet, basically saying that if there's no law or higher authority there to tell him he has to wear a helmet, he's not going to. But, he assured Cowher that he was a smart, safe, and conservative biker that'd be careful. Former Steelers' quarterback Terry Bradshaw even told Big Ben that he should wait until his career was over to ride his bike.

This isn't the first time a professional athlete or even a professional football player got into a motorcycle accident. It happened not too long ago to Cleveland Browns' tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. It stated on his contract that the Browns would not pay his salary if he got in what is termed a non-football injury. It'll be interesting to see how that works in Roethlisberger's case.

There are so many "non-football injuries" that a player can have during the off-season, that it's tough for me to say that Roethlisberger and other bikers like him should steer far away from biking. There are risks involved in driving a car, flying, taking a train, basically any kind of transportation. With every form of physical activity, there lies risk. One can jog and twist an ankle or pull a hammy. One can play basketball and do likewise. How are athletes supposed to stay in shape in the off-season without some physical activity? It's a catch-22.

What bothers me is the fact that Roethlisberger did not take the necessary precautions when riding his bike. I don't care if it's a law or not, when a team is investing millions of dollars in a player and he has a loving family back at home, he should take all the necessary precautions in case something happens. What do these precautions include? Wearing a helmet.

I've gone back and forth with helmet and seat-belt laws. On one hand, I think it's a necessary precaution to wear helmets while riding bikes and seat-belts while riding in the car (or airplane). On the other hand, I feel that if a person is not willing to wear a helmet or seat-belt, then it's going to be their own loss. As opposed to driving while under the influence, driving while not wearing a seat-belt is only putting oneself at risk. I think, at the very least, it should be a law to provide helmets to other riders on one's bike and to make certain that other passengers are seat-belted properly in one's car, especially children. I'd figure by now that most people would instinctually and habitually put that seat-belt on right when entering the car or putting a helmet on before hopping on a bike, but that's not the case for many. I've heard from several bikers that if there's no law requiring the use of a helmet, they're not going to wear one. All I can say is, before one starts driving without their seat-belt on or riding around on their bike without a helmet, think about those you love and care about. Think about the sacrifices others have made for you. Is the thrill and free-feeling of not being entrapped by a helmet or seat-belt worth the risk of death? Hopefully, Roethlisberger will lean from this incident and will wear a helmet from here this point forward. Baseball players could walk up to the plate without a helmet on, but that'd be pretty stupid, wouldn't it? Getting hit in the head with a Roger Clemens fastball is almost a certain concussion when a player wears a helmet. It'd be even more serious than that had he not worn the helmet. Ride around if you'd like Big Ben, but take every precaution necessary. I hope you learn from this and that you're ready to go by the start of the season.