I think it's really important to understand the impact cycle helmets have. They negatively impact the number of people cycling. They enforce the perception that cycling is dangerous. Finally, as the study showed, they are designed to only be involved in an accident between you and the road. Not another vehicle. They bring a false sense of security.<p>If cycle helmets were made compulsory in the UK, it is calculated that an extra 253 people per year would die from obesity related diseases ( <a href="http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1231.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1231.html</a> ) . Ironically cycle helmets kill.<p>What is interesting about this is the identification of two groups of cyclists. The 'speed' group who currently wear helmets (and usually have lycra) and then the slow group (the rest of society) who just want to go from A to B. Helmet laws specifically have a negative impact on the slow group. This is the group of people that we need to encourage.<p>As mentioned in the BMJ article ( <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3817?ijkey=I5vHBog6FhaaLzX&keytype=ref" rel="nofollow">http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3817?ijkey=I5vHBog6FhaaL...</a> ) :
"For others, this is an explicitly political matter, where an emphasis on helmets reflects a seductively individualistic approach to risk management (or even “victim blaming”) while the real gains lie elsewhere. It is certainly true that in many countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, cyclists have low injury rates, even though rates of cycling are high and almost no cyclists wear helmets. This seems to be achieved through interventions such as good infrastructure; stronger legislation to protect cyclists; and a culture of cycling as a popular, routine, non-sporty, non-risky behaviour."<p>This stuff is important. The UK justice system is permeated with the belief that if you were not wearing a helmet then you were, in some way, partially responsible. It's got so bad that insurance payouts are being affected by this.<p>Note I personally don't wear a cycle helmet except in winter when I want to have a bigger light to see the trail ahead of me as I commute to work. However if I go out on a club ride then I wear one. I'm pushing the speed of the bike and it could slip out from under me. I do not wear it with the belief it would save me if I had a collision with a car.