The helmet debate has been raging for years. The way things look, it shows no signs of abating.

Three years ago when I was the Bicycle Coordinator in Minneapolis, MN, I became involved in a controversy over a bicycle helmet – or lack thereof. After a trip to Europe, where I had ridden with the non-helmeted masses in three of the safest bicycling nations on Earth – Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands – I had declined to top my noggin.

I didn’t realize it but I had become one of the first U.S. public officials to question bicycle helmets openly, telling the local newspaper in an interview, “I just want [bicycling] to be seen as something that a normal person can do … you don’t need special gear. You just get on a bike and you just go.”

Locals immediately criticized me. The pro-helmet cry was passionate and full of concern over traumatic brain injuries, which is not unusual when bicycle helmet policy is debated. Soon after, I was told to start wearing head protection while bicycling on the job.

Even though I was no longer able to talk about helmets without the risk of public outcry, the debate was far from over. Some people came out of the woodwork to support my position, including a high school student who published an opinion piece that included research showing the promotion of helmets was leading to an increase in the fear of bicycling. A leader of a mountain biking club for kids also supported the position. He shared his experience of being forced to resign as club leader after he refused to change his view that helmets cause people to stop bicycling for city transportation trips.

That story hit home. Although I was not forced to resign, I refused to change my view and as a result, I largely curbed my penchant for bicycling in the city.

The State of Bicycling and Helmets in North America

Although we often tout the increase in bicycle commuting that we’ve seen over the last two decades, the reality is that the rate of bicycling in the US and Canada remains very low. In 2014, bicyclists comprised only 0.6 percent of all commuters in America, and only 1.3 percent in Canada according to a 2011 study. As North American bicyclists, this makes us barely noticeable to motorists.

But progress is taking place. Officials and advocates are making smart investments to increase bicycling rates in North American cities: more bike paths, protected bike lanes, traffic calming, and educational training. According to the League of American Bicyclists, those cities that are leading the charge with bicycle-friendly changes are experiencing an increase in urban ridership.2 Cities like Portland and Minneapolis are great examples, with bicycle commuters respectively comprising 7.2 percent and 4.6 percent of residents traveling to work in 2014.

When it comes to bicycle safety however, progress slows when the center of attention becomes the bicycle helmet. Much like whether or not a motorist in an accident was wearing a seatbelt, one of the first questions we ask when a bicyclist is involved in a crash is, “Were they wearing a helmet?” The media and police reflect the public’s pro-helmet sentiment by implying that its role in any major crash is highly significant.

Most health care professionals tip their hat to the helmet as well. In a recent National Public Radio piece titled As More Adults Pedal, Their Biking Injuries and Deaths Spike Too, the leading piece of safety advice given to bicyclists by the doctor and researcher was, “Wear a helmet.”

So What Does the Research Say?