Sir – Terence Hadler (Letters, October 17) is right that cyclists should obey the regulations about lights. But he is misinformed about helmets.

There are, of course, plenty of anecdotes about crashes where a helmet supposedly helped. They prove nothing.

In June 2013, an editorial in the British Medical Journal pointed out that if legislators attempt to force cyclists to wear a helmet, the cyclists may not wear it correctly, seeking only to avoid a fine.

Or they may take more risks, believing that their helmet is a talisman.

And, apparently, some drivers give less room to helmet wearers and are more likely to hit them.

Above all, urging people to wear helmets fosters the false idea that cycling is inherently dangerous. That discourages people from cycling. And thus increases early deaths from diseases linked to lack of exercise.

Let's stop fretting about helmets and teach people to cycle more safely. For example, I see many freshers who can’t use their gears properly and don’t know that they should cycle well away from the gutter.

Nicholas Lawrence, Oxford