Junk "science"

I wasn't going to dignify this with a post, but this story just won't go away. Apparently some guy in the UK has done some "research" and based on a sample size of 2,500 cars (fewer than I interact with riding to and from work every day) has concluded that you're more likely to get hit by a car if you wear a helmet than if you don't. Further articles have indicated that the guy carrying out the study was hit twice by passing cars while not wearing the helmet. On that ratio I should be getting hit twice a day (probably more as I deal with less skilled drivers), I suggest that if his skill on a bicycle is that bad, he should probably find some other way to get around.

Of course, conscientous readers will smell a rat right away. Somewhere in that particular hotlink one is able to note that this "study" comes out just as "There is a strong lobby in the UK attempting to bring in a compulsory helmet law." Granted, helmet laws are imperfect, and indeed helmets themselves have limitations, and this is a point that should not be forgotten. Personally, I agree that it should be a matter of choice, although that changes nothing for me as my choice is to wear one.
However, what I find astonishing is that people continue to trot out the old "helmets are dangerous" line as a way of justifying their argument. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see that this research is full of holes, and can see that it is a political statement rather than an example of hard science. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have two brain cells to rub together when it comes to cycling, and thus are likely to be fooled by the "message" this piece is trying to convey -- "if I wear a helmet I'll get hit by cars".

The facts about helmets are these: Helmets offer protection to the head from certain types of crashes. This protection is not perfect, but is better than none (which is what one has without a helmet). If you're cycling dangerously and unpredictably, or if you're dealing with dangerous and unpredictable drivers, your chances of being hit by a car will increase whether or not you're wearing a helmet (although most cyclist crashes have no involvement from cars whatsoever -- and most of those that do are avoidable). However, a helmet that is not worn properly is basically useless, and even one that is used properly is still no substitute for using skill and common sense to avoid crashing in the first place.