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@Utter_Bawbag
Plate fixation isn't the only option. I was given three options when I broke mine earlier this year.
1) Clavicle brace - not actually good for me as my clavicle was displaced ie not straight. Upside is no surgery. Downside is that fucking brace doing your head in for weeks on end, possibility of non-union and probable lumpy collarbone (although this gets less lumpy as years wear on).
2) Plate fixation - you can get back on the bike super fast, but the healing process is a bit slow and most people want the plate removed later on due to irritation, requiring a second operation. Of course, you end up with a surgical scar.
3) Pin/"k wire" fixation (the one I had) - initial operation is similar to plate fixation, except a couple of shish kebab skewers are used to hold the bones in alignment. Takes 8 weeks on average for the bone to fuse together, then you can have a local anaesthetic operation to have the pins removed (10 minute op). You end up with a surgical scar, but the bone heals perfectly straight.