SMS wrote:
NYC XYZ wrote:



In my club in the U.S., we fought mandatory helmets on rides for a long
time. What finally forced us to cave was our insurer, which at the time
was the League of American Wheelmen (LAW). I suspect that the same issue
of insurance is forcing the clubs and tours in your area to adopt the
same policy. To obtain a policy without agreeing to require helmets
would raise the premium significantly.

Ah, great point! Why didn't I think of that! Yes, that's it for sure.

Even before the mandatory helmet rule, I'd estimate that at least 80% of
the cyclists on club rides were wearing helmets anyway. It was not so
much the wearing of the helmet that we objected to, it was being forced
to do so. This is why compulsion is a bad idea. OTOH the high voluntary
compliance rate in my club was probably an anomaly due to its location
in Silicon Valley, where most of the club members had high levels of
education.

Hmm...but Europeans are supposed better edjamacated than US-ians, and
they're zipping around carefree.