Heh, good point actually. Made me wonder. I guess the rate of accidents for cyclists is still much higher than for pedestrians, as walkways are usually even more separated from roads. Also, let's imagine I ride my bike along a busy street with lots of small alleys to the right which are mostly obstructed by buildings or trees. I have right of way. Even if I travel at the safe but unrealistic 12.4kmh that came up as a safe speed of travel in another comment, I might not have enough time to brake for a drunk driver confusing their gas and brake pedal and shooting out the alley at 60kmh. As a pedestrian I approach the alley at maybe 6kmh and my chances at jumping backwards in time should be significantly higher. Admittedly, this is a random example I just pulled out of my butt with no data to back it up. I guess in the end it is up to everyone to draw the line somewhere between comfort and safety. This can be backed up by data, but is ultimately subjective. Even with a helmet, I can get run over fatally when walking somewhere. I could lower the risk further by just staying home as much a possible. Am I willing to?

> I guess the rate of accidents for cyclists is still much higher than for pedestrians

You don't have to guess ! It's in the video, the rates are surprisingly similar :)

For complete consistency, anyone who criticizes bicyclists for declining to wear a helmet ought not only to wear a helmet while walking, but also whenever they ride in a car.

Also they should wear a bulletproof vest, as there's 20x more gun than bicycle related deaths in the USA