last time i remember my dad riding a bike, he was riding one with dog on leash, dog got stuck under front tire... dad flips over bars and hits his head. Bam head injury.. not serious but preventable if he woulda wore a helmet. basicly. if you think you Could hurt your head, wear a helmet.. if you are going for a pleasure cruise o your bike and are 99.9% sure thatyou wont fall, lol.. then you dont have to wear one. safety first.. but yea its like cutting a 2x4 on a chopsaw without safety gogles.. you are going to cut the wood just fine, but you might get !@#$%^&* in your eye. helmet, or whatever it is, is made for YOUR safety.. you can choose to wear it or not, but the helmet itself will help you out.. i dont see how they can Make you wear one though.. its like.. !@#$%^&* off i dont wana wear a helmet