I recently watched a Youtube presentation on why the Dutch seldom wear helmets. It was put down to safe infrastructure, universal rider training and experience, relatively low cycling speeds, and respect from drivers. All true, but I'm keeping my helmet on, even in Holland. 

As a follow up, here is a highly amusing production on helmets, by the Danish road safety council.

Not an issue here in Oz, all jurisdictions require helmets to be worn by cyclists.

They do come in handy in Spring when those testerone filled Australian magpies frequently attack passing pedestrians and cyclists who dare to cross the magpies territory.

Mike

I've hit my head on the ground hard five times in my life, wearing a helmet each time, and two of the times were when I was riding at slow speeds on bike paths and hit a little slippery slimy wet spot. So yeah, I'm going to keep wearing my helmet, no matter how good the infrastructure.

Hi Henry,

I've fallen quite a few times (almost always on ice) because I ride all year round in Minnesota.  Thank goodness I've never hit my head.  But I've known a couple people who have hit their heads on pavement and they were happy to get away with only concussions and cracked helmets.

I just read your profile and, yeah, I get it.   I'd never ask you to reveal your identity, but perhaps some of us here might have interacted with you in the past?

I've never met anyone here in person, but I did have "conversations" in the forums and guestbooks on the other site with you and several other people who are here now. (Sadly, I'm imagining another piece of red yarn being added to a bulletin board in Oregon.)

In 1983, while touring from Athens to London, in the Netherlands I was asked by an unsmiling Dutch police officer "Why are you wearing such a ridiculous helmet?" Fortunately, he didn't issue a citation.

I'm pretty sure that both my wife and I owned helmets in the mid-80's that looked exactly like that. 

Steve,

That Danish ad is very funny, thanks for that. I spent over a decade working in a very dangerous high risk environment - helmets were mandatory. Oddly enough, initially it wasn't legislation that mandated the wearing of helmets in that industry; it was the worker's compensation insurers: the statistics and the $$ were the motivation for their stance. You put the helmet on your head and you got on with the job. You soon forgot it was even there. 

I've known many people who were saved by wearing helmets and a few who are no longer here because they didn't. I apply the same mindset to cycling now: the helmet goes on my head, I cinch it down, I then forget it's there and enjoy my ride. 

PS - I've got one of those Bell helmets in the shed somewhere...

That's a great video. Someone posted the same one in the forum over at CGOB, which resulted in a mostly unrelated rant by the administrator. 

I usually ride with a helmet if there's a reasonable expectation of road traffic, or when there are hills to descend. But in low traffic areas or during long, slow climbs, especially in the heat,  I'll wear a sun hat instead. 

Hi Ron,

I agree with you on the video. Hilarious. But you should see the Grampies solution to the helmet/sun hat dilemma. I think it’s called “Da Brim”, but maybe Steve or Dodie can confirm that. I always wear a cycling cap under my helmet. It keeps the scalp free of sunburn and the sweat out of my eyes. Besides helmet hole tanning patterns REALLY look goofy.

Cheers,

Keith