Originally Posted by
corrado33
... However, wearing a helmet makes BIKING more dangerous. They sited a "study" (I haven't read it.) where they found that cars tend to pass helmeted bikers more closely than non-helmeted bikers, increasing the risk of getting hit.
This is one of their conclusions.
Research has failed to show any net protective value of bike helmets.
...
I have to more than a little skeptical, both about their conclusion and about the study. Your cited page linked to this
press release about the study.
My reasons:
...
** and finally the study has been refuted in peer review, for example
Bicycle Helmet Wearing Is Not Associated with Close Motor Vehicle Passing: A Re-Analysis of Walker, 2007
"After re-analysis of Walker's data, helmet wearing is not associated with close motor vehicle passing. The results, however, highlight other more important factors that may inform effective bicycle safety strategies."