Originally Posted by RTDub

A well-stated point of view, but I have to ask why on this one point. Peril doesn't care how far you are from your house. My rabbit encounter (commute, low traffic, non-pack) was a mere 500 yards from my point of origin. I do not believe anymore that there is a thing called 'low-exposure.' To say that your risk is lowered, sure, I can go with that, but the unexpected can happen anywhere, and at any time. It's not like wearing a helmet is asking someone to endure excruciating torture while riding. It's a freaking helmet: A kind of hat for cycling.