Citi bike riders in New York are allowed not to wear helmet while pedaling through the city’s busy streets.

The Citi Bike program, which has been ongoing for already a month now, aims to attract about 10,000 bike enthusiasts wherein most of them are tourists. However, experts predicted that this helmet wearing leniency could result to an increase in bike-related injuries and fatalities. Even comedians and show host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show have made sarcastic comments on the issue by stating the need to create a new service in the city that would be dubbed as ‘Street Brain Material Removal Service.’

To date, out of the 500,000 rides in the city, there were no reports of any major injury or fatality involving bikers. However, there were three minor accidents recorded which involved only cases of scrapes and bruises among riders.

Still, the record is not enough to silence the debate on wearing helmets which is officially encouraged in the program on one hand but not required on the other. Only cyclists that are doing delivery services and those that are aged from 14 and younger are required by the law to wear helmets. Other bikers are encouraged but not required to wear one.

Some tourists and residents alike have shared disapproving views in ABC News on the helmet wearing provision. One tourist from Rome thinks it’s amusing to know how helmets are not required and how this fact is a cause of worry. Robert Sinclair Jr. of AAA New York is concerned about the safety of tourists who are sprawled on the streets of New York which are considered as some of the world’s busiest streets.

City officials have reiterated the reason behind the law of not requiring people to wear helmets. They believe that enforcing the mandate is impractical. However, this doesn’t mean that they are not taking measures to encourage people about wearing helmets for their protection. In fact, they are giving away 20,000 helmets this year to lucky bike hobbyists. Annual members of bike-share can avail of a $10 discount when they purchase helmets from any bike shops within the city.