Yes, wear protective gear. Always

Go outside and have a good look at the surface of the road. Remember when you were a kid, how much it hurt if you were running and fell and skinned your knees? Now imagine running flat out and diving face first onto the road - feel the asphalt tearing your legs and arms

Now imagine the same thing, but this time you're travelling at 30mph

The difference between having large amounts of your skin literally ripped away and replaced with deeply embedded rocks and dirt (and quite possibly several weeks in hospital) and just getting up again and continuing on your way? Boots, helmet, gloves and leathers

To contribute to the part about skin ripping away- when your speed is great enough, and thereby the friction and the heat... your skin does something called "sheeting".

That is to say, it just comes off in sheets, like how you take off your t-shirt.

Fun, huh?

I emphasize that enough - riding after any alcohol is temporary citizenship.

But aside from not drinking or rising like an idiot the biggest thing we motorcyclists can do to increase our safety is to wear a high visibility jacket. It creates a noticeable difference in the percentage of other road users that see you, which addresses the major cause of accidents. Protective gear is a last resort - it's better to avoid the accident in the first place.

The best protective gear is the stuff you wear, so for short trips if you are tempted to leave the heavy gear behind, at least throw on a light flouro jacket.

Temporary citizenship? Is this some idiom I'm not familiar with?

Early death.

In that sense, all citizenship is temporary. Only a question of _how_ temporary. :-)

I'm going to disagree with you, somewhat.

I see increasing numbers of riders with high-visibility gear. I've always been a fan, so I'm happy to see it. However, I've noticed that, more often than not, very little of the jacket/pants are actually visible when the rider is on the move. The helmet and shoulders are the most visible in oncoming traffic, and all too often the shoulders will be some darker color, meant to contrast with the high-viz torso and arms!

High-viz gear will unquestionably help with traffic to your sides and behind you, but I think a high-viz helmet is significantly more valuable than a jacket, and a modulated (flashing) headlight is more valuable than either, from the front.

I'm of the opinion that learning solid skills and practicing them regularly will contribute far more to healthy and longevity than gear alone. By skills, I mean more than just stopping and turning, I also mean the ability to read traffic and maintain focused awareness of absolutely everything around you.

By the way, my favorite piece of gear is my one-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter. Some elements of the design are getting outdated, but I'm literally able to put it on or take it off in under ten seconds, and the one-piece design means I always wear full protection. I would choose a different two-piece for touring, but for everyday riding, the Roadcrafter is hard to beat.

We could go back and forth - but essentially we are in agreement. I've ridden around the world in crazy situations, and still get surprised at what traffic can do. The awareness and skills are paramount. High viz only works when you can see it, and great riding suits are worth the incredible expense. An upright posture on the right bike will get you seen pretty easily, especially at night. Police (at least in most countries) generally do a great job of being seen and protected.