I think the 90's, and maybe late 80's were the golden age for drivers. Cars weren't as capable, but were still OK, and needed to be driven properly. Govt and cops hadn't really cottoned onto the revenue side of enforcement, so weren't as ever present as now.
So you could get away with some...
I'm showing my age here, but if manufacturers think their customers can't drive a manual without all this nonsense, should they be selling them? A properly calibrated throttle response and a clutch pedal with feel, job done.
Apparently they shag under their parents roof now. I could barely even take a girl home when I was a teenager. That's why we left home as soon as we could.
There's no guarantees in life. But in all the time I was riding, I never had a serious injury and the only two times a car knocked me off my bike was when I was stationary (and couldn't get out of the way) and the silly buggers hit me at walking speed.
Many of my cop mates could tell the same...