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Newbie rider (3 months, ridden over 2500 miles). I'm a conservative rider. Not a speedster by any means (only on freeways or when the back roads are empty and there is plenty of room [i.e Nicasio CA. , Pleasnton CA.]). I ride a Honda DN-01 mostly a cruiser/ touring bike. I like cruising the roadways and watching the scenery-NOT IN A HURRY.
I ride in the city, on freeways and country/ back roads and some twisties with no problems (thus far).

I was reading about mc accidents and it was suggested that upper body armor would be good to have/wear to protect the chest/ torso area where most motorcycle jackets do not even though they have elbow/arm/shoulder and back protection.

Should someone invest in upper body armor or is the mainstream motorcycle jackets with all their built in protection be sufficient for someone with my riding style?

Ok, I might get ripped by others for this but here I go...

We are a society afraid of everything and our fears are constantly fueled by people selling the latest/greatest safety gear, attorneys, politicians, you name it...

It sounds like you're a responsible (albeit new) rider. Don't ride afraid; have confidence but not overconfidence; be acutely aware at all times; ride within your skill level; learn every time you ride; be reasonable in your approach to this activity; yada yada yada (Seinfeld reference).

Personally, I wouldn't let those types of articles scare you. Riding a motorcycle is risky, as is driving a car, playing sports, walking across the street, etc.

I don't ride with upper body armor - I assume the risk of this activity and wear what I think is appropriate each time I hop on my bike (which to some might seem inappropriate haha).

Mike

I believe in gear, but not overkill...I think the armor already in good m/c jackets is enough. Anything more and you'd be tempted to just not bother, or you'd wind up so hot you'd have other issues. The best gear is the gear you'll actually wear...

I wear a CE rated back pad under my jacket with a small bit of chest protection. The foam flimsy gets tossed on any jacket I buy. From my experiences around the track and the hospital, I rarely see the need for much chest protection. You'd also have to make sure it didn't get in the way of riding.