Originally Posted by
chasm54
Personally I am uninterested in superficial injuries...
The Australian experience says the opposite. Introducing mandatory helmet use has discouraged cycling. And I'm not surprised. Exaggerating the dangers - wear a helmet or you risk death - isn't a message calculated to encourage parents to let their kids ride bikes. And, btw, you are talking from a North American perspective. There are many European countries in which the idea that everyone who rides a bike, needs a helmet, is regarded as ridiculous.
I wear a helmet almost exclusively because I worry about the superficial injuries. Lacerations, abrasions, contusions--all not fun, especially not if you throw a mess of hair into the equation. Road rash on my hairy scalp? No thanks...
I'll see your Australian experience and raise you a
Canadian study which says provincial helmet laws have no effect on ridership: "Following the implementation of legislation in PEI and Alberta, recreational and commuting bicycle use remained unchanged among youth and adults."