Comment Re:Can't agree more (Score 1) 1651
But does it happen on the roads? Not really.
It happened to me, and I have the six-inch scar from the incision to repair my left elbow as testament. It happened to my brother, and he has the scars on his ear from the plastic surgery to reattach it as testament. The fact that it has not happened to you does not mean that it does not happen.
or they ride into a suddenly opened car door, that sort of thing and the helmet doesn't do shit
Sure it does. In my case, my helmet stopped me from having my head cracked open the way my helmet cracked when I hit the asphalt in a slow-speed accident. In my brother's case, he was not wearing a helmet and suffered the consequences -- his ear would not have been nearly torn off otherwise. The fact that it has not happened to you does not mean that it does not happen.
A bike helmet does not stop all possible injuries (e.g., to elbows) any more than an (American) football helmet stops all possible injuries (e.g., to knees). It is certainly worthwhile debating whether the frequency of such injuries is worth legislation to mandate such safety equipment. But slow-speed accidents do happen and helmets can help in these cases, whether you like it or not.