That's why you always start on a small bike. The after credit scene was my brother crashing into my bike. It was his first time riding out of our neighbourhood. But his bike is a 180cc and is a lot lighter than mine so crashing on that is much like falling from a bicycle... much more forgiving. Thankfully all he got was some whiteman so I told him pack up the bike till he gets full gears.
So far I've had about 10 falls and the worst injury I've gotten is whiplash from falling with a 4lb helmet on my head. Not pleasant at all. I have a friend that wears nothing but short pants, vest and slippers. He crashed last week, broke his leg and split open his shin. 17 stitches or something like that.
There are some accidents that gears can't help you with (high speed fatal accidents) but it greatly reduces minor injuries and lessens major injuries. The trick is to never ride above your skill level so you avoid putting yourself in situations where you get into an accident that is so bad you gears won't help you.