tsl

I can't see why you'd want to stick your foot out so it could snag on something and twist an ankle or knee or break something.

I think you can tell I ride SPDs straight through the winter. In fact, SPDs have substantially reduced my cycling injures. Used to be my feet would fly off slippery pedals then I'd whack my leg when the pedal came around again. I was considerably less bruised during my second winter (with SPDs) than in my first (with platforms).

Like ItsJustMe, my only winter crash was when I took the studs off a day or so too early and hit an ice flow on a side hill.

Like CastIron, the tuck and roll method left me completely unscathed--only a bit of dirt on my jacket.