> Then you need different traffic signal patterns So? Increasing the share of cycling is already a transformative change to traffic patterns. >Helmets are not

> Then you need different traffic signal patterns So? Increasing the share of cycling is already a transformative change to traffic patterns. >Helmets are not for protecting yourself from cars, they are about protecting yourself from yourself. My point is not that a helmet won't help reduce your risk of injury in a crash. It's that the best way to reduce the number of injuries is to increase the number of cyclists. A focus on danger, including mandatory helmet laws, scares people away from bicycles and increases the number of injuries. Otherwise your explanation of how to ride safely to reduce risks is bang-on. In a major study of bicycle crashes and collisions in Toronto a few years ago, cyclists riding on the sidewalk were overrepresented. http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/publications/bicycle_motor-vehicle/index.htm http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/publications/bicycle_mo... On the other hand, a recent study also out of Toronto finds that an overwhelming majority of bicycle-car collisions are caused by the driver, not the cyclist: http://www.research.utoronto.ca/behind_the_headlines/smart-cycling http://www.research.utoronto.ca/behind_the_headlines/smart-c...