littleshetland
Well-Known Member
Well the fact is that the overwhelming odds are that nothing will happen to them. I am one of the very, very, very small percentage of riders who would probably be dead if I'd left my hat at home one hot day, as I often used to. And I never ride without one now. But I still know that the vast, vast majority of riders in the world don't wear hats, and only a tiny, tiny percentage of those will get a head injury which a hat would have saved them from. So I never look down on people who've made a conscious decision not to wear a hat, or force their child to. It is possible to worry too much.
^^ this.
I absolutely agree - it is possible to worry to much - I'm in my 50's now and only just recently started riding every time out with my hat on since I acquired a three year old. Over the years I've ridden a lot without my hat on - fallen off a few times, and injured plenty of other bits of me, but luckily I suppose, not my head. I actually like riding without a hat. I seem to remember spending most of the 1980's not wearing a seatbelt in the car, mucking about in boats in deep water without a life belt on for a lot my childhood, riding motorbikes without a helmet in countries where the law allows you to do this. I am mindful of a friend of mine who was tragically killed whilst standing on a pavement in the high street, when an out of control car mounted the pavement and mowed him down. Sure, I think as we get older we get more 'sensible' and perhaps our sense of self preservation becomes more honed, but we must try not to let this tip over into paranoia.