Occasional or regular non-bike helmet cyclist?

[Pax]

I don't....... I think we need certain rules and laws to protect the whole of society and I don't always think that people choose what is "best" by a rational or logical process of weighing facts.....

Who do you think should decide what is best for other people?

[Biciclista]

probably because we have to pay for those other people when they crash and become 100% disabled

[Biciclista]

I personally don't feel like my helmet is doing me much good... but it does me more good than no helmet. If we didn't pass seatbelt laws, a huge percentage of people would not be wearing their seatbelts today, etc, ad infinitum...

[JennK13]

Who do you think should decide what is best for other people?

Exactly...one person's perceived level risk is different than another's. Some of you on this site are hard core mountain bikers, barreling down a steep slope, jumping roots and rocks. That's just plain crazy to me! I'd break my neck then smack my head as my limp body tumbled the rest of the way down.
But I also think it's freakin' cool and wish I was coordinated and brave enough to do it.

I ride and commute on streets and in traffic, and it's amazing to me how many people think I'm crazy for riding with so many cars around. They would never do that. Some would rather take their chances against a root on a downhill than against cars in traffic. It's all a matter of perception and ability, and just because you would or wouldn't do something doesn't make it stupid or crazy for someone else to do so. To think that just because someone is afraid of riding bikes down a mountain in the dirt, that they could call it dangerous, and try to outlaw it is ridiculous. People ride all over the planet without helmets every single day and they are perfectly fine. What makes the states any different, or more dangerous? Yes, if you fall on your head, it has a high probability of being a serious injury. Yes, wearing a helmet is a simple way to minimize some of those injuries. I wear a helmet most of the time. But like someone else posted, there are approximately 800 cycling deaths a year - that doesn't mean that these would have been prevented with helmets, or that these people weren't wearing them. It's a personal choice - like smoking (except on top of all the healthcare problems we're all paying for to these smokers, we also suffer from exposure to their second hand smoke). There are more important things than lobbying for helmet laws.