Boy, I made the mistake once of posting a "helmet" thread, I won't make that mistake again. People start name calling and referencing all kinds of data that may or may not be useful.

But, I will never understand why people get so angry about this topic. If you want to wear a helmet, wear one. If you don't want to wear a helmet, don't. If the law requires a cyclist to wear a helmet, it's your fine to pay if you choose not to.

My personal experience is that I have crashed a few times in which my helmet was "utilized". I will never be able to say with absolute certainty that it prevented a brain injury; you just can't know that. I do happen to believe that my helmets did in fact prevent me from scraping skin and scalp off of my face/head based on the deep scratches and gashes in the helmets post crash; again, that is my belief, and for me that's enough. I do know for certain that I did not suffer any neurological injuries due to additional rotational forces as a result of wearing a helmet. My personal preference is and will be in favor of wearing a helmet....... My choice.

Cycling in its many forms is a potentially risky endeavor; helmet or no helmet. I do agree with the statement that overall safety is just as (if not more) important than whether or not one wears a helmet. If a two ton car slams into you at 30mph, which is probably slower than most cars travel on arterial roads, you are likely toast no matter what you are wearing. Crash/impact avoidance is your best bet for living a long and happy cycling life.