Spring Risks for Cars – A Flying Stone Causes €4,000 in Damage

According to data from BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (hereinafter – BTA), over the past three years, the largest CASCO insurance payout for damage to a car caused by a flying stone has reached 4,000 euros. Claims for such incidents are most frequently filed during the spring months in Riga, as well as in the Valmiera, Sigulda, and Cēsis regions. Ivo Danče, Director of the Claims Department at BTA Insurance, explains that the road surface reveals a series of “surprises” after winter; moreover, a stone impact or driving into a pothole can often result in a much more serious traffic accident. 

Sharp temperature fluctuations at the turn of winter and spring damage the road surface, which is why there is more damage caused by stones, gravel, and debris in the spring, and most often it affects windshields, headlights, and the car body. Overall, over the past three years, BTA CASCO insurance claims for stone-related damage to cars have been filed six times more frequently than claims for pothole-related damage to vehicles. 

Most stone-related damage to cars occurs on roads in Riga, Valmiera, Sigulda, and Cēsis 

BTA data shows that since 2023, the highest number of CASCO claims for stone-related damage to cars have been received in Riga, as well as in the municipalities of Valmiera, Sigulda, Cēsis, Tukums, Bauska, Saldus, and Jelgava, with the average payout for these cases reaching 556 euros. Moreover, these seasonal risks do not affect only a narrow circle of drivers - the most claims were received for stone-damaged “Volkswagen,” “Volvo,” “Audi,” BMW, and “Toyota” vehicles throughout Latvia. 

“In the spring, drivers often underestimate the risks posed by gravel, grit, and small stones left on the roads after winter. These are kicked up by the wheels of other vehicles and can cause damage even when the speed limit is observed. Special caution is needed when driving on both highways and rural roads behind freight vehicles, as the risk of stone-related damage is significantly higher under such conditions. Even the most experienced drivers are not immune to these risks, and even a minor impact can cause cracks or other defects, the repair of which, if there is no comprehensive insurance, entails significant expenses,” explains Ivo Danče.

 Manoeuvres to avoid potholes and flying stones turn into serious accidents 

In some accidents, an initial road defect has led to much more serious situations, significantly increasing the extent of the damage. For example, in an accident in Olaine, a BMW X4 veered off the road after colliding with another vehicle and drove into a water-filled pothole, damaging the vehicle’s body and interior, for which BTA paid compensation of 26,000 euros. In another case, a passenger car, while trying to avoid potholes, veered into the opposite lane and collided with a truck - the compensation paid for this incident amounted to more than 7,000 euros. 

“Although potholes and stones may initially seem like relatively minor risks, in practice we see that they often lead to much more serious accidents. Drivers, in an attempt to avoid a pothole or reacting to a rock hitting the windshield, may lose control of the vehicle, veering off the road or colliding with other road users. In such cases, the extent of the damage increases significantly. For example, in one incident, while driving toward Tomi, a stone from an oncoming truck struck the windshield of a car - the driver panicked, lost control of the steering wheel, and the car veered off the road. “In this case, the insurance payout for the damages reached 4,000 euros, and this is the largest payout for this type of accident in the last three years,” says Ivo Danče. 

He adds that situations where the driver’s reaction is instinctive - such as a sudden turn of the steering wheel or braking - are particularly dangerous, as these can cause uncontrollable skidding or crossing into the opposite lane at higher speeds. Therefore, in such situations, it is important for drivers to remain calm, maintain a safe following distance, and adjust their speed to road conditions in a timely manner, rather than relying on sudden manoeuvres.