The argument: Helmet laws means fewer riders which reduces the "safety in numbers" effect: "More people on bikes creates safer conditions on our streets." In

The argument: Helmet laws means fewer riders which reduces the "safety in numbers" effect: "More people on bikes creates safer conditions on our streets." In moderation, that makes sense, but there's always the case where cyclists overflow the area given to them and begin to block normal traffic, at which point the argument falls flat on its face. Cities do suffer when fewer people use bikes, for obvious reasons. No mention of what happens when a helmet-less rider is scraped off a curb and rushed to a hospital.