If you were walking on the street and someone unintentionally shot you, who would be at fault: the gunman for harming you with a firearm, or you for being careless and not wearing an armored vest? This might sound strange, but that’s exactly how people can sound like when talking about bike helmets.

The funny thing about bicycle safety is that we often narrow it down to helmets. And if you don’t wear one, you’re viewed as a reckless daredevil trying to throw his/her life away. But in the first place, should helmets even be necessary for cyclists?

A bicycle helmet is essentially a piece of styrofoam that you wear on your head. So that in the event of an accident, your noggin won’t take the full brunt of the impact. This makes sense when riding hard and fast.

At the trail or in a race, a lack of skill and technique could send you onto the ground. It’s a different story when you’re just trying to get to work or school, at a leisurely pace that’s as natural as walking.

Speed kills. Drivers need seatbelts and airbags, and motorcycle riders need helmets because they travel with great momentum. This not only increases the likelihood of crashes but also the fatality, should one occur.

This inherent risk of motoring is what necessitates such safety equipment. Cyclists and pedestrians don’t need that on their own. Do you wear elbow and knee pads for the off-chance you trip while walking?

Going back to the armored-vest analogy: Sure, you’d rather have one and not need it, than the other way around. But such violence shouldn’t be happening in the first place, which is why there’s no room for victim-blaming.

Just as seatbelts don’t prevent car crashes, wearing a helmet doesn’t reduce the likelihood of collisions. If anything, it can lull everyone into a false sense of security.

Some studies suggest that people drive less carefully around bikers with helmets, as evidenced by closer overtaking distances. The same could be said for high-visibility clothing.

According to helmet manufacturer Giro: “There are many misconceptions about helmets, unfortunately. We do not design helmets specifically to reduce chances or severity of injury when impacts involve a car.”

Cars are the biggest threat on the road. Since a helmet offers insufficient protection against them, we should not depend on it to reduce injuries and fatalities from vehicular collisions. The best solution is still proper infrastructure, which prevents these from happening in the first place.

That’s why you’ll find that the best places for cycling—such as Amsterdam and Taipei—are also the ones with the least helmet usage. They did not become like that overnight. But rather, concrete steps were taken by the government and the people, so that the streets would be safe enough for kids to bike on their own and without a helmet.

What about in Metro Manila? I wear a helmet. However, the reason why I do may not be the same as yours. At times, bike-commuting here can feel like the convergence of two realities.

You’ll feel like a mountain biker while gutter-surfing and navigating through potholes, bumps, and many other hazards; and a road racer when motor vehicles pressure you to speed up.

I wear a helmet not because it protects me from the cars, but for untoward events such as when a driver cuts me off, forces me into the gutter, and throws me off balance. Thankfully, no such incidents have occurred. Yet I can never discount the possibility.

Because of that, I encourage helmet usage, especially for beginners and children, who are more likely to stumble. However, I won’t find fault with those who choose not to wear one.

The problem surrounding helmets is not their usage, but how we use them as a smokescreen to avoid the real issues deep down.

Rather than blaming people for not wearing helmets, we can drive safely. Instead of implementing helmet ordinances, LGUs can divert resources to create safer infrastructure. And before law enforcers go about fining cyclists, they should be apprehending motorists who endanger pedestrians and bikers.

I had the misfortune of witnessing the aftermath of a collision involving two people. One was in a sedan, the other was on an e-scooter (the cheap kind that goes no faster than 30km/h).

“Why wasn’t she wearing a helmet?” said the shook driver, as if she were blaming the barely conscious person lying on the pavement. I had to resist the temptation to ask the driver: “Why didn’t you avoid hitting her with your car?”

Although a helmet might have helped in a case like that, it would have been far better if the crash never happened—and that is something within our control.