The overreaction pendulum swings both ways. On the one hand, you have kids tonning helmets, elbow and knee pads, and gloves to ride a Big Wheel; on the other, you have "I used to jump dirt bikes from to rooftop to rooftop, and other than a few fused vertebrae, nothin' bad ever happened to me!"
I never had a cast, a stitch or a hospital stay (I even still have my tonsils), but I had more or less permanent scabs on my elbows and knees from about the age of 8 to 13. Mom was less concerned about me hurting myself than ruining my clothes (not to mention the various forms of life I might bring home from the creek).
There's a balance to be struck here, and not just when it comes to injury. Hw are kids who live in an environment hosed down with anti-bacterial concoctions supposed to develop an immune response? I'm not saying that wounds shouldn't be treated or kids should play in the tuberculosis ward, of course, but it's healthy to get a little grubby.
I never had a cast, either. On 2 different occasions I had the horse I was riding rear up and fall over backwards on me, I’ve been kicked in the face by a horse, been bucked off a few times, fallen off more times than I can count. 2 people in my town were care flighted to the hospital due to riding accidents. I know people who have been killed by horses. Since I’m so familiar with how much damage a horse can do, I’m ultra careful with my kids around them.
These people that think since nothing bad ever happened to them that it won’t happen to their children, are fools.