Covid lockdown sees surge in cycle insurance interest

No comments

Although cycle insurance queries have increased, insurtechs chief executive warned on the pitfalls of cycling without cover

An upturn in cycling fuelled by the pandemic has led to cycling insurance enquiries to surge by 60%, according to insurtech Urban Jungle.

These figures were released in conjunction for Bike Week 2020 which runs from 6-14 June, an initiative created by Cycling UK as an annual celebration to showcase cycling.

Urban Jungle’s chief executive Jimmy Williams said that enquiries in May were up significantly when compared with the same types of enquiries back in 2019.

But unlike insurtech Laka, whose claims were centred around cycle damage, William added: “Claims are nearly all for bike theft, which is particularly common across big cities, but we also get some claims for damaged bikes when people crash them.”

It follows CyclePlan and Laka seeing a surge in cycling.

Risks

Williams said that bikes are particularly important to millennials and generation rent – the customer base that the insurtech focuses on.

For those participating in Bike Week, Williams said that it is worth considering the protection of insurance, one potential concern is that cyclists can be sued by pedestrians.

“As cycling increases, there’s much more potential for bikes and pedestrians to clash. As a cyclist myself I’ve noticed that, whilst the new cycle lanes in London interact quite well with cars, they can be confusing for pedestrians,” he said.

One case in July 2015 saw cyclist, Robert Hazeldean pay £105,000 in damages last year inJune after he knocked over a pedestrian who was looking at her phone.

Both were knocked unconscious by the crash at a busy junction on London Bridge despite the cyclist sounding his horn, shouting, swerving and braking to avoid a crash.

Hazeldean and Brushnett suffered cuts, cracked teeth and post-traumatic amnesia as a result of the collision.

The judge acknowledged that the pedestrian, Emma Brushnett was equally at fault of the collision but as only Brushnett had sued Hazeldean was ordered to pay damages. Hazeldean said that the ruling had left him facing bankruptcy.

“Fortunately for cyclists, this kind of nasty event is something which can be insured against,” Williams said.

If Hazeldean had taken out insurance, he would have paid significantly less for damages according to Levi Solicitors, the law firm that dealt with the case.