Originally Posted by
Maelochs
...
As a cyclist, do you have a choice about what sort of car vs bike accident you're going to be involved in, or when? No, you do not.
If you're wearing a helmet, and you hit your head, it will reduce the g-forces imparted to your head.
It is a very low cost to you, both from a financial perspective, and a "convenience" perspective.
In exchange (for that low cost), it could avoid a very high cost to society, in a trip to the hospital, hospital expenses, ongoing treatment expenses, increases in insurance premiums, a cost to coworkers and employers for lost work, and emotional costs to friends and family.
But "personal freedom!". That argument wears thin. Your choices impact others. It doesn't fly for smoking (in the workplace, or any enclosed space, where others are subjected to secondhand smoke), not wearing seatbelts, and increasingly, not wearing a bike helmet.