When summarizing data on how the customers of BTA Baltic Insurance Company(hereinafter – BTA) have passed music festivals of the previous summers, it may be concluded that mostly festival visitors are endangered by incidents that have happened as a result of their carelessness while driving a vehicle and at the festival site, as well as due to excessive use of alcohol. Enjoyment of art is quite often being spoiled also by various thefts, therefore everyone has to be in particular careful, when attending mass events.

Within the coming weeks music festivals in Salacgrīva, Liepāja, Līgatne and Parnu will gather tens of thousands of people, but, according to the experience of the previous years, such mass events are often related to various accidents and troubles, where visitors are involved in. The most typical troubles are different violations, conflicts and accidents that are related to excessive consumption of alcohol and narcotic substances as well as small road traffic accidents related to hurry and carelessness in the intensive road traffic on the way to the place of event, and lost and stolen personal belongings. Similarly, festival goers should definitely remember that too close location to the various sound equipment may be dangerous, because there was an event, when during an event an eardrum has cracked due to loud music.

Drive your vehicle carefully and park it in places designated for that

BTA car insurance data on MTPL and CASCO policies show that a part of festival guests may create unpleasant moments for themselves while yet being on the way to the festival site. “Car drivers, when thinking about their leisure time, often become negligent and experience some minor road traffic accidents already in parking lots near shopping centres while being on the way to the place of events. At the same time, when hurrying up to the concert of the favourite group, the permitted driving speed is exceeded and unconsidered passing manoeuvres are performed which results in various accidents,” admits Iveta Rijniece, Director of BTA Insurance Claims Handling Department.

Also, when looking for an appropriate parking place in the festival site, BTA recommends car drivers to be careful - and to park a car in places designated for that as well as be careful in order various manoeuvres in overcrowded parking lots would not cause a crash with a car of another festival visitor, because each year various road traffic accidents occur right within the territory of festivals. Outside of specially arranged parking lots people have to be cautious in order not to park a car near various technical constructions, advertisement banners or entertainment sideshows. In the previous years BTA has received indemnity claims from festival visitors, when cars were damaged as a result of wind breaking down advertisement banners, as well as when children accidently hit a vehicle parked near, when participating in some sideshows, such as archery.

We are pleased by the fact that, in accordance with the publicly available statistics provided by the State Police for the previous years, there are not much imprudent car drivers, who have driven the car, while being under the influence of alcohol. Last year during the Positivus festival 6 car drivers, being under the influence of intoxicating substances, were detained, but during the Summer Sound - 3 drivers were punished for driving while being under the influence of intoxicating substances. Still BTA reminds that also bicycling while being under the influence of alcohol is prohibited! Each year the State police registers violations, when festival visitors are moving around by bicycles being under the influence of alcohol.

Avoid excessive use of alcohol!

Also other troubles, experienced by visitors of music festivals, are to great extent related to excessive use of alcohol - people get not only various injuries, while being under the influence of alcohol, but appear in different conflict situations with other visitors of the event and law enforcement officers. Every year the representatives of the State police draw up several tens of administrative violation reports regarding hooliganism, aggressive behaviour during the festival and other violations. “Also the insurance indemnity claims received by BTA indicate that various injuries are sustained by incidents during festivals, which mostly contain broken teeth as well as broken facial and nasal bones,” indicated Iveta Rijniece, Director of BTA Insurance Claims Handling Department.  “We have experienced in practice when the insurance indemnities are claimed for events, when during the "heat of the fight" a vehicle hood is damaged and a vehicle glass is broken.”

Watch your belongings

According to I.Rijniece, one of the most often experienced unpleasant moments in the festival sites is related to lost or stolen personal belongings, such as mobile phones, purses and bags: “People tend to be very careless - for example, they leave valuable personal belongings, addressing thieves, in a visible place of a car. Therefore you have to particularly watch your property in a tent city, where other visitors of the event most often misappropriate some ordinary items, such as mattress pumps or shoes. Visiting such mass events, it would be more safe to leave the most valuable items at home.”

In the perspective of the property it would be useful for apartment and house owners, who lease their premises to festival visitors, to remember about safety. In order to protect your property against the harm caused by guests, BTA offers to insure your property right against such events.

Be cautious near water

BTA reminds to festival visitors that, although the weather forecasts for the weekend do not promise to be warm and summery, be particularly careful when going to swim. It is not recommended to cool down in the water while being under the influence of alcohol, therefore be careful and look after also your friends and other peers!

In order attendance of festivals would create only positive emotions, BTA invites to comply with several practical safety tips:

• When leaving home, check whether you have closed windows and locked the door! Thus you will escape not only from an expected visit of thieves during your absence, but you will protect your dwelling also from damages during the possible rain and thunder, which is a common natural phenomenon in Latvia in July and August.
• In order to manage to reach the planned concerts on time without extra worries, take a trip to the venue of the event by a car in a timely manner! Remember that tens of thousands of people attend festivals therefore traffic jams are almost unavoidable.
• It would be safest to park a car in a guarded parking lot that is arranged specially for the needs of visitors of the event.
• Watch your personal belongings! Do not leave them in a visible place in a vehicle or non-attended in a tent city. Be careful also from pickpockets during concerts.
• Avoid excessive use of alcohol! That is the most common reason for injuries, various accidents and conflicts.
• Do not go to swim and do not drive a vehicle or bicycle, when being under the influence of alcohol!
• Avoid aggressive conflicts with other festival visitors!
• Weather conditions may be unpredictable, therefore take also some warmer clothes, a raincoat and shoes suitable for rainy weather with you when going to a festival. It will help not only to enjoy the festival also during raining weather, but will protect from probably getting sick afterwards.
• Some minor injuries, such as scratches, burns may often happen during festivals, therefore take the first aid kit with you with the first aid items - plasters, wound disinfectant, bandages and anaesthetic. Do not forget about sun protection cream!
• Do not forget that there will also be mosquitoes and ticks during festivals as these are outdoor events - provide yourself with insect repellent!
• Draw attention to the look and quality of food products - the food is going bad very fast during summer!
• During festivals take care for yourself, your friends and peers! Be specially cautious, if you attend the event together with children.

BTA is one of the largest indemnity payers in Baltics. Last year BTA has disbursed an average of 398 thousand euros each business day in insurance indemnities in the Baltic States, which makes it 50 thousand euros every working hour.

About BTA

AAS BTA Baltic Insurance Company was founded in 2014, after reorganisation of BTA Insurance Company SE, performing successful division of the company according to the geographical distribution of its business operations: Baltics and rest of Europe. BTA Insurance Company SE, being a mother company of AAS BTA Baltic Insurance Company, has been successfully operating on insurance market for more than 20 years, in 2009 becoming the third biggest insurer in Baltic States. The international growth of BTA is proven by the TOP 500 of Central European Companies issued by the international auditor company Deloitte for year 2013, where BTA ranks among 50 largest insurance companies in Central Europe.

In December 2015 AAS BTA Baltic Insurance Company concluded a contract about attraction of an investor – one of the leading insurers in Europe – Vienna Insurance Group AG (VIG). The deal shall be completed after receiving all the necessary permits from the authorities, supervising the operation of the industry, which might take place in the first six months of 2016.

More information:
Linda Upeniece
Public Relations Department Director
BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS
email linda.upeniece@bta.lv
Phone: +371 67025676, mobile: +371 26756841