Madam, – Your correspondents who have highlighted the dangers of brain injury from failing to wear a helmet while cycling are doubtless right in respect of the individual, but, paradoxically, may be wrong in societal terms.
One of the reasons helmets are not compulsory is the likely disincentive to cycling this would create. The greatest boon to cycling safety is numbers, both for increasing driver awareness of cycling, and creating a requirement for increased provision for safe cycling on our streets.
More detailed analysis of this issue is available at cyclehelmets.org. – Yours, etc,