There was (yet another) helmet thread here recently, mostly asking why there was such a price difference between helmets. Naturally, one suggestion was that pricier helmets tend to be better ventilated, along with doubts about whether paying quadruple the price of an off-the-shelf Wal-Mart helmet would be worthwhile.

One of the posters talked a bit about his first ride with a light, well-vented helmet, comparing it to the less-vented lid he had before. He said that at his first stop, he took the helmet off to examine it, wondering if it had broken apart and had a big chunk taken out of the front. He was surprised by how much wind he felt blowing through the helmet.

Some people who don't wear helmets because they're too hot. But, if they're designed right, that complaint is addressed, and are more likely to be used -- contributing to safety for more people more of the time.

Like we always say, any helmet you can buy provides a standard level of protection. However, not everyone is willing to put up with the discomfort of a badly-fitting helmet that makes them sweat buckets after five minutes. Fixing those complaints is one way towards more widespread helmet use, which should be a goal.