. . . .
How many accidents a year leave the rider or their family saying 'I wish he hadn't been wearing a helmet' or 'he was wearing a helmet but I am fairly sure it didn't make any difference and really wouldn't advise people to bother wearing one'.
Leaving aside the question of whether it is rational to wear a helmet for safety reasons, could it be rational to wear one to ensure that you or your family don't ever have the question of 'what if?' or the lingering feeling of 'I wish I'd pursuaded him to wear one'..
This is one of the crimes of cycle helmet promotion.
Something tragic happens and people understandably grasp at any straw to help ease the pain.
Instead on inquiring about the cause of the crash, the cause of the injuries and possible prevention measures people are beguiled into thinking a helmet might have made a significant difference. The perception of helmet effectiveness is so far from the reality that masses of time and resources are wasted on pursuing the least effective intervention for reducing death and injury.
Families who have been misled into believing that a helmet might have saved a life deserve much better.
The other crime of helmet promotion is that it tends to put people off cycling to such an extent that the risk to general health from not having an active lifestyle far outweighs any conceivable protective benefits.
The other crime of helmet promotion is that it tends to put people off cycling to such an extent that the risk to general health from not having an active lifestyle far outweighs any conceivable protective benefits.