Is it useless to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle?

A leading British neurologist has issued a controversial statement that cyclists who wear helmets 'only waste time'.

Henry Marsh, working at St George Hospital, London, said many patients who suffered accidents while riding bicycles all wear 'too thin' caps, which is of no use. He cited evidence from Bath University that wearing a helmet even puts cyclists at greater risk.

Marsh said he had been riding a bicycle for 40 years, only with a cowboy hat on his head, and only fell once.

Every year, British people ride for 3.1 billion miles. Lights and reflectors are obligatory when it is dark, and reflective vests make it easier for others to observe.

Cycling helmets are not compulsory in the UK, unlike in Australia and in many parts of the US, but the government encourages cyclists to wear helmets.

Dr Ian Ian's research, Traffic Psychology Lecturer at Bath University, shows that motorbike riders often go about 8cm closer when crossing helmeted cyclists.

He said that drivers often think that cyclists with helmets will be more sensitive, more predictable and more experienced, so there is no need to give them too much distance when passing. Bicyclists who do not wear helmets, especially women, are more unpredictable and less experienced and therefore motorcyclists will cede them to a wider range.

However, Marsh's comments may provoke members of the bicycle safety movement, who believe that helmets will provide essential protection on British crowded and narrow roads.

James Cracknell, Olympic gold medalist for sailing, nearly died in 2010 while riding a bicycle by being hit by a gasoline tanker.

He said that he only survived by wearing helmets and calling unarmed people who were "selfish" because their actions could affect relatives.

'From a personal point of view, I died if I didn't wear a helmet,' he said. 'A rearview mirror hit my head at 105km / h ".

Wearing a helmet does not bring any trouble other than messing with hair. And you need to remember that 8 out of 10 children who experience accidents when riding a bike are not on the highway.

'Even if you don't care for yourself, think about people who are worried about you.'

A UK Department of Transportation study found that helmets could prevent 10-16% of cyclone deaths , although this is only an estimate based on a small study.