Cycle helmets are promoted as a way of reducing injury if someone is knocked off their bike, but new research suggests they may be increasing the risk of accidents in the first place.
Psychologists have discovered that people wearing cycle helmets tend to take more risks than they would if they did not have one protecting their head.
This suggests much of the protective edge provided by a helmet may be lost by making cyclists more likely to have an accident in the first place.
Behavioral response to avoidance mechanisms is a orm of Moral Hazard. Moral Hazard typically occurs when someone takes more risk because someone else absorbs the consequences of the risk. For example, car insurance leads to riskier driving because the insurer bears the risk for the driver. In this case, the helmet is absorbing the risk (self-insurance?) causing the bike riders to take additional risks.
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