When making a summary about various insured events, where bike riders have suffered, BTA Baltic Insurance Company (hereinafter – BTA) has concluded that the number of such accidents has grown by 40% in 2014, when comparing with 2015. The statistics of the first four months of the current year shows a dramatic scene, namely, the number of insured events claimed from BTA, where bike riders have suffered, has increased by more than four times, in comparison with the relevant time period of the previous year. The increasing number of accidents and even more intensive bike traffic has increased the interest of bike riders and care for both, their safety and safety of their bikes as well as other participants of the road traffic. In accordance with the BTA statistics during the first four months of the current year, in comparison with the relevant time period of the previous year, the number of bike riders, who have chosen the complex bike insurance, has increased more than twice.

During the last years, due to the increase of the number of active bicycle riders and intensity of bike traffic, the number of insurance indemnity claims received by BTA regarding various accidents, where bicycle riders have been involved, has increased. BTA statistics show that the number of bicycle riders, who have been injured, is increasing each year. In 2015, in comparison with 2014, BTA has received 50% more indemnity claims on accident insurance for injuries, sustained by bike riders. At the same time it should be noted that not only bike riders themselves are injured, but also pedestrians, who have suffered in accidents, where bicycle riders were involved. Also the statistics collected by BTA shows that the number of road transport accidents, where bicycle riders were involved, has increased last year, namely, the number of CASCO and MTPL indemnity claims received by BTA for such accidents has increased by 10 %.

Iveta Rijniece: Director of BTA Insurance Claims Handling Department: “BTA statistics shows that the number of insured events, where bicycle riders have been involved or suffered from, is significantly increasing. If the number of such claims had decreased by 40% in 2015 in total, in comparison with 2014, then within the first four months of the current year we have already received four times more indemnity claims vs the relevant time period of the previous year. Increase of the number of accidents is affected by still increasing number of bikers, who wish to get around by bicycles on the daily basis, regardless of weather conditions, and accordingly increasing cycling intensity. Both, last years as well as this year, bicycle riders most often get injured as a result of falls. Insurance indemnities disbursed by BTA to suffering bicycle riders range between few tens of euros for minor bruises and several thousands of euros for serious injuries, acquired by bicycle riders as a result of unsuccessful falls or collisions with car drivers. Most often bicycle riders injure arms and legs or acquire bruises, sprains and fractures during accidents. Bike riders have acquired head injuries, serious facial bruises and even spinal fractures as a result of more serious falls.”

In 2015 the biggest insurance indemnity in the amount of 5040 euros for the insured event, where a bicycle rider acquired injuries, was disbursed by BTA within the framework of the MTPL insurance to a bicycle rider in Germany, who suffered during the collision with a car, the owner of which has had a MTPL policy acquired in Latvia.

In accordance with the BTA statistics of the previous year, car drivers were two times more often found guilty for the road transport accidents, where bicycle drivers have been involved, than the bicycle drivers. Still, quite often also bike riders, failing to comply with the road traffic rules, have caused collisions with car drivers, being injured themselves and causing significant losses also to car drivers. For example, last year a bicycle driver in Riga, when driving out of a side street and failing to give way to the car driving along the main road, caused a collision with a car, causing significant damages to the car, for the elimination of which BTA disbursed the insurance indemnity in the amount of 2040 euros. “In such cases, when a bicycle driver has caused a collision, the insurance company is entitled to turn to the bicycle driver in order to recover the arising losses. In order the bicycle drivers could protect themselves from significant losses, which may arise as a result of both, collisions with car drivers as well as collisions with pedestrians, it is worth to insure your third party liability, covered by the complex bike insurance offered by BTA,” indicates I. Rijniece.

Interest of bicycle riders on the complex insurance protection has doubled this year

Observing trends of the current year, BTA statistics shows that this year, in comparison with the relevant time period of 2015, two times more bicycle drivers have selected to protect themselves from risks by acquiring the complex insurance policy offered by BTA for bicycle riders - BTA Bike policy, providing to compensate not only for medical costs for acquired injuries and to receive a compensation for the acquired injury, but also provides to compensate for losses in the case of theft or damages, as well as to cover losses caused to other persons, for example, when damage has been caused to a car owned by other person as a result of collision caused by a bicycle driver.

“The increasing number of accidents makes bike riders to think about their safety. Increase of the interest on the complex insurance indicate that bicycle riders even more are aware of all risks and possible losses, which may occur as a result of both, theft of the bicycle and injuries, as well as situations when losses are caused to other persons. Responding customers admit that, when acquiring the complex insurance, at first they want to protect themselves from losses in the case of theft of the bicycle. But BTA statistics shows that even more bicycle drivers apply for indemnity for injuries and damaged bicycles, acquired as a result of collisions and falls. Only approximately one tenth of all insurance indemnity claims are made with regard to thefts of bicycles” indicates I.Rijniece.

When summarizing information about bicycle drivers, BTA has concluded that mostly inhabitants of Riga have acquired the BTA Bike insurance policy. Men in the age between 25 and 35 years mostly take care for the complex insurance protection, namely, 65 % from the customers of BTA Bike insurance policy are male, but 35% - female.

BTA is one of the largest indemnity payers in Baltics. Last year BTA has paying insurance indemnities in Baltic States in average amount of 398 thousand euros every business day, 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:
Agnese Grīnberga
Public Relations Manager
AAS BTA Baltic Insurance Company
email: agnese.grinberga@bta.lv
Phone: +371 67025661, mobile: +371 27828796