Helmet wearing also increases risk by also encouraging drivers to pass too closely.
It’s not like the protection afforded by a helmet is significant anyway. Here’s Jim Moss, a member of the ASTM committee for helmet standards:
I should clarify my statement. The current helmet standards are not designed to prevent concussions, only minor scalp wounds. There are 3 mfg who say their design helps prevent concussions, MIPs, Kalit & @6DHelmets. Only @6DHelmets has had independent testing
— Jim Moss (@RecreationLaw) October 23, 2018
So, no helmet wearing isn’t important for protecting the brain in falls; helmets are good for
bouncing low branches off your head when mountain biking and, er, that’s about it.
Someone not even looking … isn’t going to see you
This. The majority of driver/bicycle rider collisions are the driver’s sole fault, and the majority of those are ‘failed to look’ collisions. The only way to mitigate this is with infrastructure that separates drivers and bicycle riders.
light trucks … are also significantly wider which means they pass closer than cars.
And heavier, so there’s more kinetic energy that has to go somewhere in a collision. Electric cars are just making that problem worse of course.
