Originally Posted by grolby

Honestly this is part of why I think the advice to not put a hand out is misguided. I think it's a myth that you're going to avoid breaking a collarbone this way (I landed on the back of my shoulder - crunch), and if your hand, elbow, wrist, shoulder absorb or deflect some force that might otherwise end up at your head, that seems like a reasonable sacrifice to me. For my part, though, I can't say I recall being able to get an arm out in the most of the crashes I've had, anyway, and I've yet to really hit my head.