I began riding clipped in two years ago when I bought my first road bike in thirty years.

Each time I crashed while going fast, time slowed down as I watched it happen and each time I was surprised how smoothly my feet clipped out without my having to do anything, just from the violent forces of the crash. I broke bones each time from the forward crash did no damage to my knees or hips from being clipped in.

Each time I fell over while clipped in, I held onto the bars and was unhurt. Three times I simply continued the motion and rolled over onto my back and ended up holding the bike directly over me still clipped in. Two or three times I happened to go over on the side where my pedal was down and the pedal hit and dramatically slowed the fall. Two or three times my pedal was up and because I held onto the bars, the impact was absorbed by my upper arm and torso side. The first couple times I fell over, I stayed on the bars because I froze. Now, I do it on purpose because sticking out my arm is likely to break my collarbone or blow out my shoulder.

MY ADVICE IS STAY ON THE BARS WHEN YOU FALL OVER.