John G. U. Adams, of University College, London, cites another reason not to wear a helmet. False confidence and cheap horsepower are a lethal combination. It's like having sex with King Kong, but bringing a condom for safety's sake. That is, reckless bikers sans helmets are raising everyone's car insurance rates by running headlong into plate-glass windows and the like, sustaining expensive head injuries. Actually, it's true that bikers indirectly jack up the rates of car drivers, but not for the reason you might think.
Car drivers plow over bikers at an alarming rate.
A typical accident occurs when a motorist illegally makes a left turn into the path of an oncoming motorcycle, turning the biker into an unwitting hood ornament. In such cases, juries tend to award substantial damages to the injured biker. Car insurance premiums go up. Osborn sees a hidden agenda. Fewer bikes means fewer claims against car drivers.