For many, cycling is a way to relax as well as exercise. A peaceful ride around town is a terrific way to burn calories and escape your house while still adhering to social distancing best practices. However, anytime a cyclist rides on public streets, there’s always some chance of risk. By being diligent and following good safety measures as a responsible cyclist, you can avoid much of the worst outcomes.
However, accidents can still happen. The best defense is to be aware of the different types of insurance that help cyclists. Armed with this knowledge, bicycle enthusiasts can ride in peace, knowing themselves and their bikes are protected from unexpected costs.
General Auto Insurance Coverage
One of the scariest things to imagine as a cyclist is an incident involving a motor vehicle. However, things can happen out on the road. What’s important is that cyclists know they are protected on the road. So long as the driver involved has car insurance, a struck cyclist should be insured. Car insurance covers a wide array of accidents, which typically includes medical payments for the involved persons and may include replacement of a bicycle.
General Insurance for Bicycles
Besides hoping drivers are all responsibly insured, there are many different types of insurance that help cyclists remain safe. Generally, this includes a very flexible plan that is auxiliary to motor insurance. Regardless of the motorist at fault, PIP plans will generally cover any number of damages. However, it’s worth investigating the details of your plan to ensure you’re covered while cycling. If it doesn’t cover you now, talk to your agent to see if you and your bicycle can receive coverage. In many cases, PIP will even pay for damages to bicycles, making it an ideal upgrade to a car insurance policy.
Besides PIP, people have insurance to cover damages to property. For anyone already paying homeowners or renters insurance, it’s worth investigating the fine details. There are likely add-ons or fine print that include repairing possessions normally part of everyday life, such as a bicycle.
Bicycle Specific Insurance
For the average person, bicycle-specific insurance may not be necessary. As we’ve seen, you can update different varieties of commonly held insurance plans to cover such accidents. However, serious enthusiasts should consider a much more robust and focused plan to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their prized bicycles. In general, insurance can be applied to almost any possession, often for a nominal fee. Besides this, a few companies are beginning to recognize the popularity of cycling and are creating newer and more specific forms of insurance all the time.
