I figure a helmet is less dorky looking than bandages and drooling would be. And I'm a klutz, so I'm at risk of *precisely* the kind of accident helmets are designed for - getting tangled up in my own feet, pedals, and/or random stationary objects. So I wear one. (I don't do any other sports, or I'd wwear a helmet for those too, probably).

Also, it would REALLY suck to be on the hook for $40K in student loans and be unable to use what I learned. Brain damage scares me.