regardless of which school u attend, a helmet is a necessary evil these days. i'm sure the old timers have done crazy helmetless things in all types of machinery, (i'v got 35 stitches in total in my noggin) but times have changed. the coppers here will even bust a 7 y/o kid and fine him $110 for no helmet. I personally hate the things, but in a racing environment i wouldnt dare not use one. I experienced first hand how well they work and therefore how important they are. Call me a nerd, but hey, I wouldnt be writing this if it were'nt for my helmet.