If I wasn't wearing a helmet in 1977, I wouldn't have been alive over the years of that study. And that crash was from a bike failure, not risky riding.

And yes, tight better helmets, risks are taken that weren't before. We see this in ice hockey. When I was growing up, none of the pros wore helmets, let alone masks. Everyone knew the risk of death was real every time they stepped onto the ice. Players kept their sticks down, much more so than today. But a safer game? (OEM teeth were a rare commodity, much more common now.)