You may find this interesting: in my lifelong of bicycling I crashed several times. Some of the crashes were at high speed (for cycling), some at low.

Counterintuitively, the high-speed crashed were harmless. When you hit the ground while going at 25 MPH there is no time for any instinctive reaction.
One moment you are riding along, and 0.1 second later you slide along tarmac burning the flesh. Road rash - painful but only skin-deep - is the only harm.
Of course, if you crashed your head into something the story would be different but that never even came close in my case.

Compare it to the low-speed crashes (all when going uphill)
Moment of inattention, the front wheel gets stuck in something and over the bars you go. Unfortunately, it all happens at low speed so you have time for the bad instinct to kick-in and you stick out your arm forward (to dampen the fall and protect your face).
As a result you fall on that outstretched arm and the injury results.
Had you had less time and did nothing, the fall would be 100% harmless.

Also, I agree with you recumbent recommendation. When (if) I return to cycling, it will definitely be recumbent. Compared to traditional bikes recumbents are not only safer, they are also more comfortable and faster on flats and downhill, the only minus being they climb more slowly.