Truck driver acquitted of vehicular manslaughter - Munich

But what it does is gives you a feeling of being safer. Its called risk compensation. So you feel safer and you take more risks.

Can someone tell me why helmets are not legally required on bicycles in Germany

But what it does is gives you a feeling of

What makes me upset is that no one seems to take responsiblity.

QUESTIONING THE BENEFITS OF CYCLE HELMETS
There are other grounds too for questioning the benefit afforded by wearing cycle helmets, in particular those relating to their strength - the BSI specification makes it clear that cycle helmets only provide that degree of protection for low speed impact, that is up to about 20 kph, which is required to reduce injury if someone falls off their bicycle and without a motor vehicle being involved (British Standards Institute, 1991) - and the effect of helmet wearing on the propensity to take risks.
Level of protection from cycle helmets
The protection afforded by cycle helmets falls well short of the heavier, more stoutly constructed and more complete coverage of motorcycle helmets which are better able to withstand the impact forces from collision with a motor vehicle. Table 2 shows the number of each type of road user who has died from head injury in an accident in the last five years for which the statistics are accessible for such analysis. It is salutary to note from this that, in spite of the fact that motorcyclists are obliged by law to wear a helmet with this enhanced level of protection at all times, 45 per cent of their fatalities still result from head injury, compared with 71 per cent of those of cyclists - only a minority of whom wear a helmet. It can be seen too that cycle fatalities account for only 1 in 17 of all road fatalities and 1 in 12 of those that are result from head injury.

By wearing helmets, cyclists are at best only marginally reducing their chances of being fatally or seriously injured in a collision with a motor vehicle which is the predominant cause of these injuries. Even the most expensive ones provide little protection in these circumstances. Moreover, the argument in favour of helmets would have validity if there were proof that behaviour does not change in response to perceived risk. But there is no such proof. Safety devices encourage higher levels of risk-taking. As a result, cyclists are likely to ride less cautiously when wearing a helmet owing to their feeling of increased security. After all, the message of the advocates of helmet wearing is that such a practice will protect the cyclist's head adequately in the event of any accident, not just a minor one when cyclists are hit by very slow-moving vehicles or fall off and hit their heads on the ground. Cyclists may be less likely to have an accident if they are not wearing a helmet, and are therefore riding with greater care owing to an enhanced sense of their vulnerability.

a very sweaty head. Seriously, wear a helmet, it's just not a thing to debate, but realise as you say that you're still just as vulnerable as before.

At least on a motorbike I can effectively get myself out of situations by accelerating

sad but true that even if the truck driver was guilty of something the cyclist would still be dead.

Hell no. It's my precaution against any outside influence that might endanger or injure me. I ride the same without a helmet as with - defensively and always looking well ahead and sideways.

While we're at it, let's bash some inconsiderate pedestrians who step onto the bike path without looking right or left, for example at a street crossing where there is a bike path between the sidewalk proper and the waiting zone at the light. And pedestrians dragging trolley suitcases at arm's length behind them and taking up the space of a medium elephant calf. And people with strollers who veer right or left suddenly while you're trying to pass them.

Interesting quotes, but largely commonsense I would have thought. Cycle helmets are made to be very light, and with plenty of ventilation, both fundamentally different requirements from motorbike helmets, indeed for bike helmets the strength is the same for cheap or expensive versions but the expensive ones use better materials to achieve a lighter weight and more ventilation. There's a lot of a human not protected by a helmet and a collision with a car will probably affect them all. As was said earlier - prevention is much better than cure here.

Up to a point you can do that too on a bicycle, at least in certain conditions, but still it comes down to awareness that there's a situation to be avoided.

At junctions anyone going straight has right of way over anyone turning right or left.