Not all deaths can be attributed to the knock on the head in the event of an accident. I agree that a helmet does reduce the risk substantially, but there are many other factors involved. Unfortunately we never hear what the actual cause of death was when a cyclist gets killed....Was his neck broken? Were there puncture wounds? etc etc...Sometimes more internal damage is done than externally and is not visible to the eye at the crash scene. So it always easy to say " a cyclist was wearing a cheap helmet and that was the cause of death" There are real nasty cheapies on sale at our local chain stores which do not conform to international standards, and some people will take a chance with them. The quality of the inner and outer shell is really poor and could break if you look too hard at it. Personally I would go for something more expensive that has undergone extensive testing and are made of better quality materials. A high price helmet might only get you something flashy, a better fit, more ventilation holes etc etc, but at least I will feel comfortable in it. Everybody has a budget and can only afford certain equipment. It's your choice what you want to pay, but at least make sure it conforms to either ANSI or Schnell standards as a minimum requirement when purchasing a helmet.
