I always wear a helmet when I'm off-road and almost always wear one on road too, except perhaps when I'm pootling down to the shops or if I'm on a 5 hour road climb in the alps with a fully loaded touring bike spinning along at walking pace.
I'm realistic about the amount of protection a helmet can give. There are still plenty of serious injuries that can occur regardless of wearing a helmet or not. But the times I have had bad crashes I've always been thankful to have been wearing one. Once I crashed at high speed and came off my bike into a backward-roll which split my helmet in two when the rear hit the ground very hard. Fortunatley all I suffered was whiplash and a mild concussion, but without my helmet the back of my skull would've taken the full force of the rocky ground, and I may not have been here today to type this.
As I've got older and self protective maturity has taken the edge of my younger man's compulsion to take risks, I've become even more aware of the benefits of wearing a helmet and there ability to significantly lessen the chances of serious head injury.
I do occasionally ride with one guy who insists on never wearing a helmet. It's his choice and I choose not to preach to him but I do feel very uncomfortable about the potential consequences if he were to have an accident.
As a qualified MTB guide and first aider I'd be compelled to give as much help as I could should such a situation arise. But I do feel that it is unfair for any rider to absolve responsibilty and increase their chances of personal injury, effectively leaving their riding companions to pick up the pieces.
I've had to call ambulances and mop up blood from other people's head wounds in the past, and while they have both fortunately recovered, I wouldn't ride with them again without them wearing a helmet.
Strangely though they choose to wear helmets now.
Wearing a helmet is entirely about personal choice. To ignore the potentential consequences may be considered foolish but is also a legitimate choice.
To make helmet wearing compulsory gives the impression that cycling is an inherently dangerous activity, and as such would put many people off. However with the correct education then perhaps a more informed decision can be made.
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