I vote yes for the helmet. My cousin died when he was eight because he did not wear a helmet - he was struck by a car and helmet could have helped because he died of massive brain swelling and hemorrhaging. This was before the NJ helmet law for kids under 14. I was a kid then too, and the day after he died my Dad took us kids out and bought us all helmets. Several years later my brother made a BAD choice while riding on our road and was also hit by a car, but he was wearing a helmet. He still had to have reconstructive plastic surgery on his nose since he hit face first. AND, once when I was riding with my Dad, his tire slipped on a patch of sand and he went down and his helmeted head bounced off the curb. Thank goodness for the helmet!

Ok, this is making me scared to go back and ride, with the family history. Anyway, wear your helmet! Protect your melon!