• I'm all for personal choice, and I have no particular interest in trying to dissuade you from wearing a helmet, but it seems a little odd to me that the driving factor in your decision (and what seems to be causing you some concern) is the severity of the outcome, and not the likelihood of the outcome. It strikes me that both are important.

    So to use an analogy, I know that being in a plane crash is probably going to lead to my death. But I still fly occasionally because I know that the chances of being in a plane crash are low. The same goes for lots of activities I enjoy like climbing, sailing and stuff like that - where accidents could lead to severe consequences. In fact, in terms of severity, the outcomes of being a pedestrian hit by a car and a cyclist hit by a car are probably very similar so it would seem odd to feel that we should take additional precautions only when cycling (if we are solely considering severity of outcome).

    And from what I have seen, the chances of being in an accident on a bike are quite low, and the chances of being in an accident and getting a severe head injury are lower still. This is why I feel that not wearing a helmet is not foolish or selfish (I also don't think that e.g. flying is foolish or selfish). Hopefully though, it will make you feel safer and make you enjoy your cycling even more.

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