I stopped riding my bicycle several years ago when it got in the hands of a crooked family member, and I've not tried one since. Part of the turn-off was when authorities came up with the new helmet law, which stated I had to go through the mundane process of strapping this helmet on even if I was only going two doors down the neighborhood. It was the most hideous thing I'd ever seen - comparable to wearing a hard-hat.
But what Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went through demands a helmet - every time.
The helmet law as it stands right now is too far-reaching: why target basic bicycle riders? For every modern day Evil Knievel out there who dares to defy logic with cycle riding, there are probably ten of us who will ride the sidewalk in an effort to avoid the street. Some people, classified as nerds by the majority, will even mount rear mirrors on their handlebars. They, along with everyone else who minds the rules of the road, should not have to strap a helmet on if they can stay safe.
When I first caught glimpse of a Michigan article that would partially eliminate helmet usage, I thought indeed it was referring to non-motorized bikes. But the repeal would be for most everything, and that's where I disagree. Take the bike that Roethlisberger was driving at his accident: a Suzuki Hayabusa, quoted as being one of the fastest & most dangerous street-legal bikes (for lack of better argument, why are they even legal?) Would even the boldest person take to the road-rage-filled streets without some type of protection?
The seat belt law in cars grew on me and they have saved lives. The helmet in these cases is one's own livelihood. Why chance your life driving a dangerous "weapon" with no protection? There are no room for show-offs in this regard which, hate to say it, may have been what Roethlisberger was doing. The driver of the Chrysler which he hit, an elderly woman, did nothing illegal. If you've got material separating your coconut from the pavement, it's possible he could have walked away just shaken up. Instead, his life is at stake.
All power cyclists should wear helmets, hands down. I've driven a moped once, and I remember complaining about wearing a helmet. But I was scared when I hit a rough patch of land and was panicking. I would have appreciated wearing the helmet then.
So let this be a benchmark. Let's not let the authorities cut this law into pieces and put more Roethlisbergers on the road - let's use common sense. But for those who pedal manually and look all ways? Don't try to link them with the Knievels of yesteryear or today.
Again, let's use common sense.
