Originally Posted by
mr_pedro
Regarding your point D, the downside to focusing on helmet usage is that the underlying premise is always that cycling is a dangerous activity. That discourages people from using their bikes for daily tasks, just as a means of transport.
Indeed it is a totally different story when cycling close to your limits, e.g. as a sport, a helmet becomes much more sensible to wear.
Not that I disagree with you, but just to play devil's advocate for a moment, I don't think you can make that argument because the same can be said about seatbelts and cars, for example. To make this claim, you have to have an inherently prejudiced view of helmets, or at least of their burden on cyclists. Some see helmets as something as natural as tying a shoe lace, and those people would never agree with you that helmets discourage people from using their bicycles. However, others see helmets as a major inconvenience, and a large burden on cyclists, and those people would definitely agree with your premise that generalized helmet enforcement will discourage some people from cycling.
Don't get me wrong, I'm just trying to present a counter argument. As I said in my last post, I have the same opinion as you when it comes to helmets; they should be worn in certain scenarios, but should not be enforced for every type of bicycle riding. I personally don't wear a helmet when I'm going on dedicated paved cycling infrastructure or MUP.