Accidents News from Be Wiser

Five million UK cyclists may be putting themselves and others at risk because they do not have basic third party insurance cover.

Statistics show that around 400,000 bikes are stolen every year and around 26,000 cyclists are involved in cycling incidents. Having bike insurance will protect cyclists against the sad fact that bikes are easy to steal and many cyclists are injured in accidents.

AA offer Insurance for home contents, including personal liability cover up to a maximum of £2m which includes bike accidents.

There have been calls for third party insurance to be made compulsory for cyclists, but such a law would be disproportionate to the risk posed by cyclists and could dissuade people from taking to their bikes in the first place.

If you are a cyclist and are involved in a collision with a car, you may be held fully or partially liable for any damage. Even a tiny bump to a car’s bodywork can result in a bill for thousands of pounds – with insurance you can eliminate any added expense, which during a recession is essential.

At present less than 2% of Britain’s cyclists have any sort of insurance cover. However, with a proliferation of the number of cyclists on Britain's roads the chances of accidents or theft has increased, leading insurance sites urge riders to ensure their bike is adequately insured.

Cycling to work is an easy way to cut costs and get fit but - now that bikes can cost hundreds of pounds - it makes sense to consider insurance.