Re: Re: The Velibs are coming?

The Helmet or not issue seems to be an irresolvable debate, at least going by the vast amount of online fora and articles on the topic.

Some psychologists suggest that not wearing a helmet makes it less likely for one to be struck by a vehicle, as the driver will show more caution because he sees the cyclist as being more vulnerable.

I would suggest, however, that there are far more dangers out there for cyclists than being struck by a vehicle that has seen them. Any close encounters that I have had on my bike have been with cars that haven’t seen me at all, especially at left turns. Indeed it is probable that most accidents occur when one party doesn’t see the other at all, making the study of driver’s actions upon seeing a helmeted/unhelmeted cyclist a bit of a damp squib.

Personally, I would much rather have my helmet absorb an impact than my skull, I’m not sure that even cycleways could supply me with a replacement for the latter.