I'm over the top when it comes to protecting my kids.  I do try to walk that balance between not embarrassing them but still feeling comfortable. (I draw the line with bike helmets--an absolute must).  When I look back at my childhood though, I can't help but feel either like a hypocrite or that my parents were incredibly negligent or that they just had less information at their fingertips to influence parental decisions.  My oldest is 5 and I already have twinges of the long goodbye.  For now though, I'll do my best to keep them safe and enjoy the journey.  Glad you made it through the experience.