after going to a bike store attempting to buy a helmet that is slightly nicer than my "literally the cheapest fit-kind-of-socks helmet at target" and being reminded that most helmets cost well over a hundred dollars (and seemingly many are several hundred) i have upgraded my assessment of mandatory helmet laws from "bad" to "very bad"
granted we could afford the cost of a nicer helmet but at any rate i got overwhelmed trying to figure out the sizing cause i'm not very good at working the little strap adjusters and just gave up and decided there was nothing wrong with current helmet i've dropped on the groundby accident several dozen times now
plus if current helmet gets stolen cause i just leave it hanging on my bike when i go into a store (which has never happened in all the years of me doing that, because i think "cheapo helmet that's been on someone's sweaty head" is not a very appealing theft target to most people) it's like 33$ to replace. if i get a nicer helmet, the cost of replacement would make me feel obligated to bring it inside with me, and i don't need MORE stupid bullshit i have to carry around in stores
My opinion on the safety benefits of helmets changed when I started riding helmetless and noticed that cars actually started keeping their distance from me. I realized that driver's by and large do not see my helmet the way I do, as a means of minimizing damage in a worst case scenario; no, they see it as a magical talisman that protects me from all possible hurt, including hurt brought on by their own recklessness. So you as a cyclist are faced with a trade-off: do you wanna minimize your chances of getting hit, or do you wanna minimize the damage if you do get hit? Nowadays I wear a helmet again, but I recognize it's a devil's bargain both ways, and the only good way out is to design the city like you give a shit.
