Quote Originally Posted by ivorygorgon View Post
The laws requiring helmets are not just to provide individual safety. When someone without health insurance rides without a helmet and is hospitalized, the costs to society as a whole are large.
Freedom costs (money). To promote freedom, I believe that society should shoulder such costs.

---

Years ago, my mantra was "when joggers start wearing helmets, I'll wear a helmet". Where and when I rode meant that I encountered numerous cars for only 1% of the ride, and maybe five cars during the other 99%. Most of the time I was churning up mountains at 5 MPH (ie a 12 minute mile) - slower than some joggers. As for crashes, the most recent crash had been circa 1987 when I tipped over in a parking lot due to some foolishness.

Increasing age has resulted in thinner grayer hair which necessitates a hat, visor, and sometimes sunglasses. A visored helmet takes care of this need better than even a hat. I now wear a helmet essentially all the time.

---

The downside to wearing a helmet is that it's an enabler of other behaviours. I now fearlessly ride in traffic. On the rare occasions I encounter dense urban jams, I'm now on of "those" riders - weaving between cars, lane splitting next to buses, passing everybody, squeezing through any opening, and etc.