Underlife Bc has researched hundreds of crash-situations conserning the safety of the cyclist and concluded that so called "Bicycling Helmets" would not have provided extra safety against falling. The best way to avoid injury is to cycle faster, in larger groups and stay drunk enough.
Remember that proneness to fall increases exponentially after midnight, alone and after paydays. The explanation of the formula is yet to be found, but our genius scientists have steered their studies on combined effects of the gravitation field of the Moon and the coriolis force.
We have taken our share of punishment and grown stronger in the process. Remember that the pain is only weakness leaving from your body. By all means wear a helmet if you really feel like looking like a dork in public places. But if they spit and laugh on you don't say we hadn't warned.