Cycle helmets don't help

Lots of people seem to believe that wearing a helmet on a bicycle makes cycling safer. There's plenty of evidence that it doesn't. 

In fact, wearing a helmet does a lot more harm than good. It makes cycling look dangerous when it isn't and there is even evidence that cars tend to drive close to bikes with a helmeted rider.

Of course, if you're going out mountain biking or take part in a race, you'd be pretty stupid to do it without a helmet. But if you want to cycle to work or go down the shops, then it's really not necessary or desirable.

And if you're unfortunate enough to find yourself under the wheels of the truck, a helmet wouldn't have helped anyway.


Helmets and the Law in the British Medical Journal

Bike helmets can't prevent brain injury

The Bike Helmet Paradox

How bike helmet laws do more harm than good

The unintended consequences of bike helmets

This was also pointed out in 2006 study.

Ditching bike helmet laws better for health

People should wear helmets when cycling - a fallacy

To encourage cycling, lose the helmets

Sarah Wilson on helmets

Guilty Until Proven Helmeted

And a few figures...

An example for the helmet fallacy:

"Our response when someone supports Mandatory Helmet Laws just because they say a helmet saved their life one time:

Image shows/represents damaged ww2 aircraft that made it back from bombing raids. It's used to signify a fallacy... Military first thought they should protect the damaged parts of the plane. But in reality, the planes that didn't make it home were damaged in the white parts."

Thanks to @BicycleLobby and @Schmucklevision.