You still see cyclists who ride without helmets. It’s commonly accepted that the helmet is the single most important piece of safety gear that any cyclist can have. Yet, not everyone bothers to put one on every time that they ride.
Well, if you’re on the fence about how much helmets really help or if you sometimes decide not to wear yours, consider this: According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, head injuries in cyclist accidents are the main cause of both severe disabilities and fatalities. If you’re going to end up with life-changing issues or even lose your life in a crash, odds are that you’re going to do it by suffering a head injury.
Many cyclists feel that their own skills are enough to help them mitigate this risk. They know that head injuries are possible, but they don’t honestly think they’ll get into an accident that is bad enough to suffer from one.
The issue with that line of thinking is that someone else may cause the crash. What if a driver who is overtaking you on your bike drifts into the bike lane and hits you? What if someone doesn’t see you when you have the right of way and turns left in front of you? It’s not just your own skill as a cyclist that matters. Someone else’s mistake could throw you from your bike and lead to a devastating head injury.
If this happens to you, with or without a helmet, make sure you determine whether or not you have a right to seek compensation.