Cyclists - Should they be insured?

[mrBishboshed]

[QUOTEI have CTC but by default rather than conscious choice. To join in some formal rides you need to have 3rd party cover.][/QUOTE]
That's good to know, i do intend to find a local riding club once the wife gets used to the idea of being a cycling widow. Opps wrong terminology. I mean home alone with the baby. Another good reason to get covered. Cheers.

 

[Crackle]

I know where your coming from but its all relative. I am a big fat lump on a bike doing 27mph, (again wishful thinking) and a pedestrian walks into the road without looking and they are gonna get mashed. We cant always allow for stupidity.

I'm not sure you'd be liable in those circumstances but I take your point and hence people do take out insurance but the insurance companies consider it such low risk, it's a pittance, see Ohnovino's post below. In 30 odd years cycling, I've never worried about it.

I've got third party cover through my British Cycling membership. There are usually offers around that make it around £10-£12 for your first year.

It's perhaps worth pointing out that with cycling insurance you're really just paying for the admin; payouts are so rare and so small that there's little financial cost involved.

 

[mrBishboshed]

I wasn't worried till i Googled it.

 

[Davidc]

Another thing to check is legal assistance cover. Worth having if you need to go for someone else. It's not a compensation culture issue, it's just sensible if someone does something nasty to you or your bike.

Again I get it through both household and CTC cover, but CTC have specialists in bike related stuff. Other cycling bodies probably do too.

 

[byegad]

I am insured. As a member of CTC I have 3rd party cover.

However IF you cause me to slide down the length of your car leaving a scratch I'd be pushing for them to refuse the claim. IF on the other hand. I caused the scratch I'd expect you to have your damage covered by the CTC insurer.

No matter if you drive or ride with 3rd party cover this would be the case.

 

[gavintc]

British Cycling provide cover to CTC for a similar fee. Chose the organisation that meets your needs, and the insurance benefit is well worth the annual membership fee.

 

[Red Light]

Just one thing to note. None of the insurances above cover what seems to be a main worry - being injured and unable to work. If the injury is your fault then there is no payout and if it was the other party's fault then the payout as damages may take some time as the insurance companies invariably contest it. OTOH car insurance doesn't cover your lost income if you are at fault either.

What you really need to do is take out specialist insurance to cover your income if you are unable to work through injury. Its available but not cheap and also an area that can be disreputable to read all the small print carefully

But as noted above most people have third party cycling insurance thrown in for free with their household policy and the risk is so low that membership organisations like CTC and LCC throw it in for free too.

 

[dellzeqq]

I've got third party cover through my British Cycling membership. There are usually offers around that make it around £10-£12 for your first year.

It's perhaps worth pointing out that with cycling insurance you're really just paying for the admin; payouts are so rare and so small that there's little financial cost involved.

that's not quite true. The fifteen quid that affiliate CTC members pay goes three ways. The admin costs a bit over four quid. The CTC pays the insurers about a fiver (I'm told the LCC pays a little less). That leaves a bit over a fiver for the CTC - but, then again, they have costs that need to be paid.

Now.......that may make the thing seem like a bad bargain, but it's not that easy to arrange third party insurance for cyclists on your own (I know this for a fact).

 

[dellzeqq]

British Cycling provide cover to CTC for a similar fee. Chose the organisation that meets your needs, and the insurance benefit is well worth the annual membership fee.

long term you're better off joining the CTC as an affiliate member - unless you want some of the other stuff that goes with BC, CTC or LCC membership. Last time I looked BC membership was £24 after the initial offer. Affiliate membership of the CTC is £15

 

[dellzeqq]

I am insured. As a member of CTC I have 3rd party cover.

However IF you cause me to slide down the length of your car leaving a scratch I'd be pushing for them to refuse the claim. IF on the other hand. I caused the scratch I'd expect you to have your damage covered by the CTC insurer.

No matter if you drive or ride with 3rd party cover this would be the case.

too true.

third party insurance comes in to its own when you claim against somebody and they counterclaim

 

[Old Plodder]

I suggest either, BCF if your a racing man, CTC if your more of a general/casual cyclist.
BCF usually is got by joining a Road Club, whilst the CTC offers regional & local cycling groups that offer a variety of ride types.

(I, personally, am a life member of the CTC.)

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm surprised at that figure. I was given a much lower figure when I was on Council.

Have I mentioned that I arranged cycle insurance for over a million people.... and the premium was only £1,000? About 0.01p per person...

it's in the accounts. Last I looked it was about £4.50

 

[dellzeqq]

I think any deal (which includes brokerage costs) is a good deal, in the sense that it's not a big element in the price of membership - but that's to go over old ground! It is difficult to arrange third party insurance for cyclists on an annual basis.

 

[Drago]

I think they would be well advised to buy instance, but compulsion would be out of the question as ridiculously unenforceable.

Mines through MIAS, £50 a year but covers me also for teaching.

 

[ufkacbln]

I am not advocating this but i am interested in what all you bike riders think.

I am about to take to the busier roads and i do worry that i may not be covered if i am injured in an accident. Is it really worth spending money on insurance and do they actually pay out after an unfortunate event?

Also last year I had a cyclist leave a huge scratch down the side of my car in Hackney and i would have loved the chance to claim from them for the re-spray. (Wishful thinking?) Will it work this way round if i cause an accident or damage a vehicle?

Here are the articles that started me thinking it MAY be a good idea
http://www.pannone.com/media/articl...rsonal-injury/cyclists-should-they-be-insured
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15892074

Are any of you insured? What do you think?

P.S I just found this letter which may get some of you all bothered. I would love to hear your views. At the moment i kind of agree with the writer but i am open minded. http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/04/26/letter-cyclists-should-have-insurance/

Perhaps we need to look at motor insurance first?

In 2010 - 2011 motor insurance policy payouts were subsidised by some 2 billion pounds from household and other insurance.

If we were to insure cyclists then all we would be doing is adding a further subsidy to motor insurance. When motor vehicle insurance cost become realistic then perhaps we can look at the options for insuring other groups