When I was younger, nobody road with helmets. They weren't widely available. I crashed my bike one block from my house. Spent 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital. Still feel pain 26 years later when the weather gets grumpy. Now I wear a helmet. Always. I usually try to ride with my Giro BMX helmet in NYC, it is better for a crash involving multiple impacts. For longer rides outside of the City, I have a Limar 911 and a Bell Ghisallo. There are a number of scars on and in my body that could have been prevented by the availability of the helmets we take for granted today.