I had a *very* minor crash where some ******* pushed me off the road right after a stoplight, so I wasn't going very fast. Hit the curb and went down, *very lightly* tagging the side of my helmet on the pavement. I didn't really even see birdies. Barely a scuff on the helmet, but it was a solid hit. Without that helmet, it would have been a trip to the ER. Likely a bad concussion, contusions, scalp stitches, maybe even a skull fracture. I had always been pretty religious about wearing my helmet, but at that point I became a fanatic. Helmets aren't just about saving lives, they're about saving pain, injury and incredible inconvenience. (ie: I was able to go home and throw a BBQ for 10 guests, instead of ending up in the ER/hospital for god knows how long.)

Also, since that accident, I make sure to wear brightly colored Biking clothes, and flashers front and rear. (The guy claimed he "didn't see me", of course.)