If nothing else, this is interesting.
For the most part, in the circles I ride (people–not actual circles), peer pressure is used to encourage others to wear helmets. And wearing helmets is a good thing. And if someone shows up without a helmet, well, we may look at them a little funny, somebody may even mention that they should have a helmet, but that’s it. Any sort of message is now over. The end-result? If the idiot gets in an accident, it’s their head. Their not wearing a helmet does not impact my safety at all. So, they get a little peer pressure, but they are not ostracized. They already know they’re not fitting in. No sense belaboring the point over something that really only effects one person. (Adults who are riding with children and aren’t wearing helmets is another subject.)
Occasionally, states will legislate mandatory helmet use. This is an attempt to force people to do the right thing, because, as we all know, we are sometimes our own worst enemies.
Well, this report from ABC’s John Stossel (20/20 program) brings up some very interesting issues. Particularly, it asks, “Does wearing a helmet make us safer?”