Christmas and New Year celebration time is coming, and BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (hereinafter – BTA) receives more and more insurance applications for accidents characteristic of the festive season. According to the data summarized by BTA, in the course of the last two years BTA has indemnified losses in the amount of almost 800 thousand euros altogether to persons, who faced some accidents during Christmas and New Year celebration time. The most frequent – 65 % of all insurance indemnity applications received in the festive season – troubles and accidents, which occurred to transport vehicle owners.

Altogether, in the course of the last two years BTA has received almost 900 insurance indemnity applications for different accidents, which occurred in Christmas and New Year period. BTA disbursed an average indemnity in the amount of 876 euros for a single accident, which occurred in the course of celebration. According to both total number of accidents and insurance indemnity sum disbursed, accidents related to transport vehicle gave people the biggest bother, including having a traffic accident due to slippery roads, inattentiveness or haste, as well as different traumas, which occurred when falling on slippery pavements or in domestic setting, including when decorating home or preparing festive meals.

Car drivers should be particularly careful in parking points of supermarkets, recreation areas and entertainment centres

According to data summarized by BTA, during festive season when traffic intensity increases the number of traffic accidents, which occur in parking points of supermarkets and in crowded areas of celebration, grows as well, for example, in the vicinity of community culture centres, recreation areas and entertainment centres. Almost the fifth share of all transport vehicle accidents occur in such parking points in the festive season. The most frequent reason of the accidents occurred in the parking points is haste and inattentiveness of people, when car drivers do not notice other transport vehicles and having not made sure it is safe – try to ride out of the parking point in reverse gear. It is to be noted that BTA data testify that the largest number of such accidents occur on the 23^rd, 24^th and the 30^th of December, which may be explained by the fact that people still hurry to buy the last presents, as well as head off to celebrating destinations.

Iveta Rijniece, Insurance Joint Stock Company BTA Baltic Insurance Company, Director of Insurance Claims Handling Department:“During the festive season car owners should be particularly careful not only when parking the cars in the parking points or riding out of the points, but they should also take into account that small-time thieves get active in the festive season; they use haste and inattentiveness of people during the festive season for mercenary purposes, such as, breaking car windows and stealing different personal belongings left in the car passenger compartments – video registrars, navigation equipment, presents prepared for one’s family. Looking back to events of the last two years in Christmas and New Year time, BTA has disbursed more than half million euros in insurance indemnities to car owners for losses occurred due to traffic accidents and thefts. The average disbursed insurance indemnity for such kind of events is almost 1000 euros”.

It is to be noted that due to increase of traffic intensity, car drivers frequently become inattentive during the festive season. It is evidenced by the fact of increase of such kind of accidents in this period, the reason of which is inobservance of distance and unwillingness to give way when riding out of the minor road. BTA statistics testify that during the festive season weather conditions, meaning, icy roads, which led to inability of many car drivers to control one’s car after it went skidding, served as a factor of increase of the number of accidents.

Upon analysis of BTA statistics by the number of received insurance indemnity applications, Volkswagen brand cars have suffered the most often in accidents during Christmas and New Year time – 17 % of all received CASCO and MTPL insurance applications, BMW (11 %) and Audi (10 %).

The largest financial losses are caused by accidents with lodging

Data summarized by BTA testifies that there is a tendency of increase of the number of different traumas several days before the holidays already, when many start to prepare themselves for festival celebrations or enjoy the holidays and engage themselves in active recreational and sports activities. Traumas of this period occur in the most seemingly “silly” ways: when decorating the Christmas tree, baking gingerbread, cutting meat, going to the forest to get the Christmas tree or hurrying to see the fireworks, this is why people should be twice as attentive. Altogether, BTA has disbursed almost 66 thousand euros in insurance indemnities for different traumas, which occurred to people during Christmas and the New Year time in the curse of the last two years.

“When people start to get ready for the holidays, they often forget about cautiousness and altogether act more thoughtlessly. Different home accidents during festive and pre-festive season present almost the third share of the traumas, which are submitted within private accident insurance indemnity applications. The data testifies that the number of burns occurred to people during the festive season increases as well; most often children and adults as well due to careless behaviour spill over oneselves some hot drink or dish. Hand and leg fracture traumas were characteristic of the festive season in the previous years, when falling on slippery pavements”, tells us I.Rijniece.

The largest financial losses of the festive season are caused by accidents related to lodging. Data summarized by BTA for the previous years and the insurance indemnity applications received during the last weeks testify that one should be especially cautious about one’s private property safety because there is an increase in number of both fire accidents and house robbery or attempts of house robberies. Altogether, BTA has disbursed almost 100 thousand euros in insurance indemnities for different troubles related to lodging in the New Year season for over the last two years. Average insurance indemnity disbursed by BTA for troubles related to lodging is 1555 euros during the festive season. The most frequent cause of private property damage is leakage of liquids (flooding, pipe crack) – 68 % of all private property insurance indemnity applications. Burning candles in an Advent wreath or in the Christmas tree left unattended, as well as fires caused by damaged electrical installations, may cause significant damages with large financial losses. Misfortunately, BTA receives insurance indemnity applications for such accidents every year, this year as well, for example, a burning candle left in an Advent wreath was a cause of fire in a customer’s apartment in Madona, another fire in a customer’s apartment in Riga was possibly caused by a put out candle in an Advent wreath, meaning, notwithstanding the fact that the candles were put out overnight, a fire broke out in the apartment, which resulted in a damaged wall, French blinds, TV, table and a ceiling covered with soot.

The biggest travel risk – sudden illness

Many go abroad to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. However, according to BTA data, celebrating abroad may be often ruined by different accidents. Despite the fact that sudden illness is the most frequent (45 %) cause of travel insurance indemnity applications during the festive season, same as throughout the whole year, the number or traumas occurred abroad still grows during the holiday season, when people engage themselves in winter sports activities (18 %). It may be explained with the fact that many go to all-time favourite skiing resorts abroad, including Austria, Italy, Switzerland and other countries to meet the New Year.

Upon traveling during Christmas and the New Year period, people should take into account that during the festive time different misunderstandings and accidents with luggage happen to occur significantly – twice – as often as within any other period. Accidents during the trip not only ruin the traveller’s spirit, but also cause financial losses. Altogether for different troubles and traumas occurred during travel in the New Year over the last two years, BTA disbursed 43 thousand euros in insurance indemnities. The average insurance indemnity disbursed by BTA for troubles during travel is almost 400 euros.

To keep the festive season nice and quiet, BTA encourages everybody to take care of one’s and other people’s safety during this period and to remember these advices:

1. Car drivers should be particularly attentive in parking points of supermarkets and celebration areas – next to community culture and entertainment centres. Car drivers, observe the distance and take care of your safety before you ride out of the parking point in reverse gear!
2. When you go outside, make sure that candles are put out, windows are shut and the doors are actually closed!
3. Enjoy your holidays, but do not forget about safety and protect yourselves from “silly” home accidents – be careful on a slippery pavement, when decorating the Christmas tree, do not overestimate your skills to reach the highest branches and when you go to see the fireworks, do not take unnecessary risk and do not hurry!
4. When you go abroad to some kind of exotic country, explore the respective country’s cuisine and eating culture in advance. Observe particular hygiene and cautiousness so that a sudden illness does not ruin your travel and festival celebration.
5. During the festive season, when doing active sports, do not be daredevil and take an unbiased look at your skills! 

Additional information:
Agnese Grīnberga
Public relations manager
AAS BTA Baltic Insurance Company
E-mail agnese.grinberga@bta.lv
Tel. 67025661, mob. tel. 27828796