Friday Video: A Deep Dive on the Endless Debate Over Bike Helmets

It’s one of the most common — and frustrating — questions a bike advocate can get: are you pro- or anti-helmet?

So we were thrilled to see Montreal-based YouTuber Oh the Urbanity break down why the so-called “debate” over protective headgear is way more complicated than meets the eye, and why so often, it only distracts from much more important questions about unsafe infrastructure, inequitable and harmful enforcement, and the many different ways that people ride.

But if you really need to weigh the pros and cons of strapping one on for any individual ride you take — or supporting policies that require that your neighbors wear helmets by law — this one offers a solid round-up of research on how likely head protection is to actually protect you in common riding scenarios, and what trade-offs mandatory helmet policies have for communities writ large.