There’s one thing I’ve learned on my journey, it’s that people don’t like being told what to do (in this case wear a helmet). For some reason, the very idea sparks resistance. Kids roll their eyes, adults shrug it off, and too often the response is: “I’ll be fine.”
I honestly don’t know why, I really don’t, because if I wasn’t wearing mine, I’d have died – absolutely no doubt.
Think about it. If you’re driving a car, you buckle up without question. If you’re skiing, strapping on a helmet has become second nature. If you play hockey, you wouldn’t step onto the ice without one. Yet, when it comes to biking—something we do on busy city streets, winding trails, or even in our own neighborhoods—there’s this strange resistance.
I’ve tried to understand it. Maybe it’s a fashion thing. People worry about how they look, or that wearing a helmet feels awkward, bulky, or uncool. Maybe it’s about freedom. There’s this image of the wind in your hair, flying down the street like you’re in a movie scene. Maybe it’s about peer pressure, especially for kids. No one wants to be the only one on the block wearing a helmet if all their friends have decided it’s “dorky.” Last month I discussed a neighbour who told me her kids choose to walk to school over biking, simply because if they ride they’ll wear a helmet – and get teased.
But at the end of the day, none of these explanations make sense when stacked against the facts. A helmet can be the difference between a bruise and a brain injury, between a bad day and a life changed forever. I know this from lived experience. The only reason I’m still here to write these words is because I wore a helmet. That’s it. One simple choice saved my life.
And so, I keep circling back to this question: why resist something so basic?
When the NHL made helmets mandatory in 1979, not everyone was thrilled. Many players saw them as uncomfortable, unnecessary, or even as something that took away from the “toughness” of the game. For decades, hockey had been played bareheaded, and old habits — especially ones tied to pride and identity — are hard to break. Some players even refused to wear them until they retired, thanks to the league’s “grandfather clause.” At the time, it probably felt like an annoying rule change rather than a life-saving one.
Fast forward to today, and not a single NHL player would imagine to go onto the ice without a helmet. The idea of playing hockey without one seems reckless, even absurd. Helmets are now part of the culture, as natural as lacing up your skates. Players recognize that it’s not about toughness — it’s about being smart, protecting yourself, and respecting your career and your life. What was once resisted has become instinctive.
That’s exactly the kind of change I’m hoping to create for cyclists. I want wearing a helmet to feel automatic — not because someone told you to, but because it just makes sense. My goal is for future generations to look back and wonder why anyone ever questioned it. Just like in hockey, the conversation will shift from “Do I have to wear a helmet?” to simply saying “Of course I wear a helmet!”
What I’m proposing with “I am BrainSTRONG” is not just another reminder to follow the rules. I’m not interested in scolding people into compliance. What I want is a shift in perspective. I want people to stop seeing helmets as something they must wear, and start seeing them as something they want to wear. That’s a huge difference.
When you must do something, it feels like a burden. Like homework, or chores. But when you want to do something, it feels like power. It’s a choice, an identity, a declaration. That’s why the “I am BrainSTRONG” pledge asks people—especially kids—to say it out loud: “I’ll wear my helmet when biking because I am BrainSTRONG.” Saying it makes it personal. It shifts the frame from obligation to empowerment.
And maybe that’s the key to solving this strange resistance. Maybe the reason people fight against helmets is because they feel like they’re being forced, and no one likes being told what to do. But if we flip the script—if we make helmet-wearing about pride, identity, and strength—maybe then it won’t be a point of resistance at all.
I honestly don’t know why people resist helmets. But I do know this: once we change the perspective, once people want to wear them, that resistance will disappear. And that shift could save lives.
Hi Robert..hope you remember me from the ROSSS board. I fully agree, in 1990 while cycling in France with our son I was forced off the road by a speeding car, NOT wearing a helmet it resulted in six broken ribs, broken collar and shoulder bones. I am lucky to be alive and since then ALWAYS wear a helmet. My view; like safety belts, helmets should be mandatory for adults to set the example. On another beef, bikers should were light clothing and only draft when cycling in groups Why are cyclist insisting on being so close to the white lines. Also flashing front and rear lights are a must. I am a serious cyclist. Gary
My injury is such that post-crash memories aren’t self-summonable, which means that had you not triggered that you were on ROSSS’ board I not have known! What you’d shared is pretty much exactly what the point of “I am BrainSTRONG” is, because in your case hindsight was 20/20 – and my goal is for everyone to avoid such circumstances.
I’m reading yours again, and thought of something. I had physical injuries, in my crash I was rendered a quasi-paraplegic (I can walk, but with support, and often in a wheelchair), I see double, and have a speech impediment. That’s an element that I always say, because a helmet doesn’t render you invincible – but it’s the ONLY reason I wasn’t killed. I suffered an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), that a helmet doesn’t prevent (the damage happens when the brain hits the skull from the impact). You said “six broken ribs, broken collar and shoulder bones” — but no ABI?? In 1990, the assessment and testing for an acquired brain injury (ABI), particularly traumatic brain injury (TBI), was conducted using methods that were standard at the time, but the overall awareness and research were less advanced than today, so you might have suffered one (given the degree of your injury, likely)
Robert, this summer my son, twin boys (13) and I cycled for 4 days from Waubashene on Georgian Bay to Wiarton then across to Lake Huron. Only 205 K but we enjoyed the whole trip. We witnessed MANY irresponsible bikers especially the serious macho cyclists and the big tired e-bikes.
I saw a kid riding a battery-bike pretty fast, passed me on my scooter (goes about 15 km/h), riding with another power-bike. The other rider had what looked to be like a motorcycle helmet on, but the other had nothing