The advent of spring was marked with an increase of cycling traffic intensity and a season of accidents typical for the warm months began. It is also evidenced by the first insurance indemnity claims for accidents, when cyclists were injured, received by BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (hereinafter – BTA) this spring. BTA background experience testifies that a clearly defined increase of number of bicycle-related injuries begins particularly in April and May. “We encourage children and their parents to be particularly careful”, emphasizes director of BTA Baltic Risks Underwriting Department Ivo Danče. “Last year in nearly 50 % of cycling-related insurable events claimed to BTA children and youngsters below the age of 18 were injured. The first indemnity claim for a child injured in an accident has already been received this spring – a boy broke his arm upon falling from a bicycle.”
“Even though we receive indemnity claims for different cycling-related accidents throughout the whole year, upon assessment of the last year statistics, we see that a clearly defined increase of number of cycling injuries begins particularly in March and April, which may be explained by the improvement of weather conditions”, recounts Ivo Danče. The first indemnity claims for injuries sustained when falling off the bicycles have already been received this spring. These were mainly arm fractures.
“In spring time not only cyclists should be particularly careful, but also other traffic participants, because children may also take an active part in traffic. Upon commencement of the cycling season, time is required to let children refresh their cycling skills. Based upon indemnity claims, the most active cycling season begins upon the end of an academic school year, and children have more spare time, for example, in May last year, we have received 16 % of all indemnity claims for cycling injuries”, points out Ivo Danče. However, the largest number of accidents, when cyclists were injured or involved, occurs in August – 21 % of indemnity claims received, when cyclists sustained injuries, was received during this particular month of summer last year. It may be explained by numerous cycling activities taking place during this season, besides, August is a time of active vacation, when families tend to spend their spare time together and go cycling.
Half of the injured in cycling accidents – children and youngsters
Almost half of cyclists – BTA accident insurance customers, who get into different types of accidents, are minors. In 25 % of indemnity claims received by BTA and related to injuries sustained in the result of cycling, these are children at the age of 8 to 13 were injured. Less frequently, in 13 % of claims, youngsters at the age of 14 to 17 years old sustained different kind of injuries, while pre-school aged children – in 10 % of all claims.
Most frequently, cyclists sustain different kind of injuries upon falling from a bicycle. Insurance indemnities paid by BTA to cyclists are within the range of a few tens of euros for minor injuries up to even several thousand euros for severe injuries, which occurred to cyclists in the result of an unfortunate fall or collision with a car driver. Most frequently, cyclist injure their arms and legs in accidents, sustaining injuries, strains and fractures. Cyclists have sustained head injuries, severe face injuries and even spinal fractures.
The number of injuries grows rapidly
Upon increase of the number of cyclists and the altogether traffic intensity, the number of insurance indemnity claims for accidents, when cyclists were involved and sustained different kind of injuries, received by BTA grows as well every year. Last year, as compared to 2015, BTA received by 11 % more indemnity claims in the field of accident insurance for injuries sustained by cyclists. It should also be noted that injuries are sustained not only the cyclists themselves – pedestrians also suffer in collisions with cyclists, besides, the number of cyclists, who are involved in different car-related traffic accidents, grows every year.
Interest in complex insurance protection increases
There is a positive trend – an increase of interest in complex insurance appropriate particularly for cyclists. “In the course of the last year interest in BTA Cycling Policy has increased considerably – the number of the insured has increased more than twice, which indicates to the fact that people’s apprehension of voluntary insurance, as well as interest in liability grows, related to participating in road traffic on a bicycle”, recounts Ivo Danče. “Cycling Policy envisages not only reimbursement of medicals expense and compensation for the injury sustained, but also reimbursement of losses due to theft or damages caused to a bicycle, as well as coverage of the losses inflicted onto other persons, for example, damaged car, which belongs to another person, and was damaged in the result of a traffic accident caused by the cyclist.”
In 2016, the number of indemnity claims for stolen or completely damaged bicycles increased considerably and reached 35 % of all Cycling Policy insurance indemnity claims (in 2015, the ratio of such accidents was 14 %); indemnities paid on such claims make 79 % of the total sum paid in Cycling Policy insurance indemnities.
About BTA
BTA Baltic Insurance Company (hereinafter – BTA) is one of the leading insurance companies in the Baltic States, providing all types of non-life insurance services in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. BTA is also one of the largest indemnity payers in the Baltics – in 2016, BTA disbursed an average of 300 thousand euros each business day in insurance indemnities in the Baltic States or approximately 38 thousand euros every business hour.
The largest shareholder of BTA is one of the leading ore than 50 companies in 25 countries constitute a group with a solid brand, with 190 years of experience in the insurance field and close cooperation with customers. VIG employs 23,000 employees and is a clear leader in its core markets. VIG is a group with the best rating of all companies in the ATX, the leading index of the Vienna Stock Exchange, with a secondary listing on the Prague Stock Exchange.
More information:
Linda Upeniece
Marketing and Public Relations Department Director
BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS
email: linda.upeniece@bta.lv
phone: +371 67025676, mobile: 26756841
