• falcunculus@jlai.lu
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    2 days ago

    Helmets are bad for safety because (1) car drivers act more dangerous around cyclists wearing helmets and (2) they discourage people from riding bikes whereas the primary safety factor of cycling, by far, is the number of people cycling.

    • forestbeasts@pawb.social
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      2 days ago

      Helmets are pretty important for safety. I don’t really have strong opinions on whether helmets should be required or not, just because if you go flying without a helmet and die it only kills you, but… yeah, we’ve gotten hit by cars (on our dinky 15mph escooter) and the helmet probably saved our life.

      That also applies even if you don’t get hit by a car and just, say, get your wheel stuck in a train track rail or something and go down. (We’ve had that happen, too, on a bike.)

      – Frost

      • falcunculus@jlai.lu
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        2 days ago

        I should have been clearer sorry. Wearing a helmet is obviously better in a crash; but, both personally and societally, not wearing one decreases the chances of getting in a crash in the first place.