I do not feel that because I wear a helmet, I take greater risks while biking. I have gone down because I didn't unclip in time, because someone took me down, because I lost the rear wheel in a turn, because I overlapped......
What's a big crash?
55mph highway, 9 person paceline at 25mph+ I am
#4 , overlapped a wheel, went down left side, slid to center-sat up facing traffic-2 lanes of vehicles coming at me-got up and to side of road PRONTO!!!! Road rash, cracked helmet, bike was fine.
45mph 2 lanes 3 person paceline 4" separations I am
#3 , mail truck stopped opposite side delivering mail. Oncoming vehicle passes truck and comes into our lane as we approach mail truck instead of yielding-the law!
#1 rider off onto grass,
#2 ride wants to go off but mailbox post is there-slams brakes on and stops, I slam
#2 -my bike LOCKS on to his and I eject like a James Bond passenger landing on grass to right 10 feet from road, 2 cracking sounds upon landing-C6 and right clavicle, compression of C5-C6-C7, Long Thoracic Nerve Injury, cracked helmet, bike OK.
Had I NOT had a helmet on, maybe no C6 injury. WHY....helmet kept my head higher upon landing than without so cervical vertebrae could not straighten out but I might have sustained a concussion.
25.2mph to 0 when rear wheel was lost going into round-a-bout during a 70.3 triathlon. Down left side at mile 15 of 56, massive left side injuries, cracked helmet, bike OK, got up and finished bike and half marathon bleeding continuously.
I feel the helmets did their thing by preventing concussions and/or brain injury whether landing on pavement or grass but always a question if it caused cervical injuries.