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Comment by ihaveajob | Hacker News Reader

I am somewhat similar. The irony is that when you're riding next to traffic, a helmet offers little protection against being hit by a car. The biggest gains are solo crashes against the asphalt, with no cars involved. So if I'm riding a city bike for fun or chores, I may not wear a helmet (especially a shared bike). But if I'm riding the hills for sport, helmet on every time.

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Anecdote incoming: I was hit by a car while bicycling home one night about ten years ago. I was knocked over and broke my collarbone in two places. I remember thinking at the hospital, "It's amazing I didn't hit my head. A broken clavicle really isn't that bad." (it's basically nature's crumple zone)

Only a couple days later did I think to check my helmet. It had a huge crack on the outside and two smaller ones on the inside. I absolutely smashed my head on the pavement. That helmet saved me from serious head trauma, if not worse.

From a random stranger on the internet: Please wear your helmet while bicycling. There are many ways to end up hitting your head after a bike crash, and all of them are bad.

I second this. A car pulled out in front of me once - I went over the handlebars, landed on my hip and my head whiplashed onto the tarmac. If I hadn't had my helmet on it's very likely that I would have fractured my skull, including all of the attendant risks of serious brain injury.

> The irony is that when you're riding next to traffic, a helmet offers little protection against being hit by a car.

It may save you from head trauma as a result of a car hitting you, either from your head hitting the pavement or the car.

> a helmet offers little protection against being hit by a car

This doesn't seem true? A lot of people who get hit by a car end up falling to the ground, where they can hit their head on the concrete.

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