No Need for a Helmet

I knew there were good reasons not to wear a bike helmet, apart from the ones I was already aware of: Helmets can ruin your hairstyle, helmets are just a another piece of gear when one already has to carry a lock, lights, and possibly tools, and serious bike accidents with head injuries are rare.

Helmets are also a disproportionate measure and fuel fear of cycling as set out in a blog post by Howie Chong (click):

“If there was conclusive proof that bike helmets reduce the total number of serious head injuries compared to other normal activities, then I’d reconsider my stance. But if I’m not the kind of person who wears a helmet when I take a walk or get behind the wheel of a car, then there’s no logic to me wearing one when I’m on a bike, particularly if I’m confident in my urban bike safety ability. Meanwhile the proof is pretty strong that vehicles give me more space when I’m biking without a helmet. In a city biking, that’s the kind of injury I’m most concerned about. And I want to encourage more people to get on their bicycles, because the more cyclists are out on the road, the safer I’ll be.”