>>but then there's this psychological thing: aside from driving through an auditory illusion, they ride through a safety illusion and take more risks. It's disputable how does this move the odds - reckless with helmet vs careful without.
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>I think that's a ridiculous argument. It's like suggesting people drive more recklessly because they wear seatbelts.
I read it here - and I may believe it's true but only a bit, i.e. people still think the way they did, they are just feeling a bit safer than without, which may influence their decision making in some borderline cases. I surely wouldn't buy a "helmet made me do it" defense.