This is copied from a cycle trainer’s posting on uk.rec.cycling, it’s the results of a survey given to trainees on a cycling course:
| Trainer | Trainees |
| About helmets | |
| Will a helmet make it less likely for you to fall off your bike? | (always so far) No. |
| Will a helmet make it less likely for a driver to hit you? | (usually) No. |
| Will a helmet protect your leg if you fall or are knocked off? | (always) No. |
| Will a helmet protect your head from the wheels of a truck? | (always) No. |
| Is it possible that a helmet could protect your head if you hit it on the road? | (always) Yes. |
| About being seen | |
| Will hi-vis make it less likely for you to fall off your bike? | (usually) No. |
| Will hi-vis make it less likely for a driver to hit you? | (always) Yes. |
| Will hi-vis protect your leg if you fall or are knocked off? | (always) No. |
| Will hi-vis protect your head from the wheels of a truck? | (always) No. |
| Is it possible that hi-vis could protect your head if you hit it on the road? | (always) No. |
| About training | |
| Will cycle training make it less likely for you to fall off your bike? | (always) Yes. |
| Will cycle training make it less likely for a driver to hit you? | (sometimes) Yes. |
| Will cycle training protect your leg if you fall or are knocked off? | (always) No. |
| Will cycle training protect your head from the wheels of a truck? | (always) No. |
| Is it possible that cycle training could protect your head if you hit it on the road? | (always) No. |
| About safety | |
| What’s most important, helmets, cycle training or hi-vis? | (always) Cycle training |
| What’s next most important? | (usually) Hi-vis. |
| What’s least important? | (usually) Helmets. |
| (sometimes) What do your parents think is most important? | (always (so far)) Helmets. |
Leaving aside the fact that being seen does not actually mean high visibility jackets, it could be achieved with road position (bear in mind this is young children, who tend to view things a bit simplistically), it is the last section which gives experienced cyclists the biggest concern. It seems to me that the reason helmet proponents get away with suggesting helmet laws is precisely that they have succeeded in pushing the fiction that wearing a helmet is the first, best thing a cyclist can do for their safety. This is, of course, also one of the reasons helmet laws fail.
