>And now you know why riding with body armor is pointless.

I can confidently say I am among the elite in terms of urban riding competency, having logged at least 15,000 miles riding around Los Angeles.

I’ve crashed three times. Two of those were were the result of a combination of bad luck and me taking unnecessary risks. The other one was entirely unavoidable, and totally the result of a negligent driver. In that case I slammed my head hard on the pavement, broke my helmet, and managed to ride away shaken but not seriously injured.

The point is I have skills too, I’ve avoided countless accidents by employing them. I also wear a helmet to further reduce that risk.

Ironically, I used to ride without a helmet, but only started when I moved to Los Angeles and had a few near-misses. Drivers here have a different idea about sharing the road than elsewhere. Biking fast through an intersection when a car traveling in the opposite direction is waiting to turn left is a recipe for disaster--they never want to wait, so I like to yield even when I have the right of way.

I don't follow why your anecdote suggests that body armor is useless. You're just saying that good awareness is also a good idea. All it takes is one momentary lapse of reason. I say this as a motorcyclist who adopts a similar head on a swivel approach. Assume everyone's out to kill you and make it look like an accident. I don't assume I'm perfect, though.

Seriously dangerous advice. Well done being lucky on repeat, but luck is all it is.

I was cycling safely from Coogee to the City in Sydney.

A lady driving her kids to school rear ended me at a round about.

My head smashed straight into the asphalt. Fortunately helmets are more or less legal requirements in Australia or else I would have been dead or brain-damaged.

nonsense what has kept you safe is blind luck