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The Dutch bicycle-network is safe enough to not have to wear bike helmets. We have a really nice system of seperation of car/bicycle/pedestrian traffic. In addition, a lot of tought is given to design roads in such a way that car traffic automatically adapts to the correct and safe speed that is needed.

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Bikes are great, I commute on a bike in a US city with decent infrastructure. I still wear a helmet every single time I get on a bike.

Even low speed crashes or encounters with pedestrians can result in serious head injuries.

People misunderstand the purpose of bike helmets; they're not so you can charge into a car and survive, they're so your head survives the fall to the ground from 7 feet up.

The typical Dutch response to this is “You can fall and hit your head when walking too, but no one walks around wearing a helmet.”

This fits with the view I have from my social circles in America of the Dutch as largely being defiant, proud, and an amazingly fun culture/people :)

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