Maybe Ben should visit Chennai, India

I am a Steelers fan, so I truly hope that Ben Roethlisberger makes a full recovery from his recent motorcycle accident.

Regarding his decision to not wear a helmet... while I am against laws for adults on this matter, not wearing a helmet -- in just about all circumstances that I can imagine (caveat: I'm not a biker myself) -- just seems really dumb.

Consider, if you will, the following series of photos from my friend and colleague Basia Kruszewska, who is working in Chennai, India. It is quite the norm for a man to ride a motorcycle there without a helmet, and for his wife to ride side-saddle behind him, and to be holding a baby or young child as well (all sans helmets). Now, admittedly they aren't going 50-75+ mph, but Basia says they do reach speeds of 30 or 40 mph.

See also this followup with even more photos, this time with entire families treating motorcycles and scooters as if they were SUVs.

And btw, If you like those photos, I strongly encourage you to browse throught the rest of her blog (2.5 years worth!), at least for the wonderful photos. She has a great eye, and not only has hundreds of photos from India but also from her various trips in the southeast Asian region (Mt. Everest, doing work post-tsunami, and various exotic locales).