Originally Posted by
mconlonx
Perhaps it is because more cyclists believe in the magic ability of a styrofoam hat to protect them from all dangers on the road, and as a result, there are more people riding?
No, you have misunderstood the figures. Those I referenced aren't to do with the frequency of accidents, but with the proportion of accidents that result in serious injury. If helmets worked as people hope, this is the figure that one might expect to fall.
But I agree that the more cyclists there are the safer we will tend to be. Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that making people wear helmets discourages them from cycling.