Interesting take on helmets, to conclude that the drivers of the cars around the cyclist give less room to helmet-wearers and thereby raise the risk of injury. I’ve already read that (likely non-professional/non-serious) cyclists who wear helmets apparently ride more carelessly and thus counteract most of the benefit afforded by the helmet. I imagine that those who cycle “seriously” as in the spandex/overpriced-components crowd probably don’t change their habits much, but kids and casual cyclists probably do infer more invulnerability from the helmet.
As to helmets on motorcycles, while I’m not a big fan of coercing riders to wear them, I cannot really understand the appeal of riding without one. I’ve had to do it a couple of times, when my helmet became unavailable for one reason or another, and it was miserable. The air rushing past my head drowned out all sound including the bike’s motor, my eyes watered so much I could barely see, and my face was constantly bombarded by dust/sand, bugs, and other assorted crap.
In Illinois when helmet laws went away, eye protection was still required. I rode with nothing but eyeglasses on my head sometimes. It’s still tricky; wind getting around the lenses can get the eyes teary.
Take away the coercion, and people do the right thing