Cycling is a healthy habit for children and adults alike. It increases cardiovascular fitness and can even help people lose weight. Traveling by bicycle is also cheaper and more environmentally friendly than using a motor vehicle.
For all the benefits it offers, cycling can also be quite dangerous. Every day in California, cyclists get hit by vehicles or suffer serious injuries during incidents when someone opens a vehicle door right in front of them.
Cyclists can suffer fatal or life-changing injuries in a crash caused by someone in a four-wheeled motor vehicle. Typically, those hurt while biking by someone in a car can make a claim against the driver’s insurance coverage. Should you also carry bicycle insurance to protect yourself?
There could be real value to bicycle insurance
As with motor vehicle liability insurance policies, bicycle insurance offers multiple kinds of coverage. You can carry property damage coverage to repair your bike or replace it if someone steals it. You can also pay for bodily injury protection that they apply even if you were the only one involved in a crash that hurts you or someone else. Your coverage can help if you hit someone or cause property damage on your bike.
It can also help when you get into a crash caused by someone with low insurance coverage or a lapsed policy. Many drivers don’t carry insurance beyond what the state requires, and some drivers fail to pay their insurance premiums, leaving them uncovered in the event of a crash.
Be realistic about the risks you face
No matter how safe you are on your bicycle, everyone on the road will constantly put you at risk. The brightest visibility gear and the newest helmet won’t save you from a driver staring down at their phone as they approach an intersection.
Having as much insurance coverage as possible can protect you from the sometimes devastating consequences of bicycle collisions. It’s also important to know your rights, including the possibility of bringing a civil lawsuit against a driver who was negligent or who didn’t have insurance on their vehicle.
Learning about the systems that can protect you as a cyclist can help you reduce the lasting impact a bicycle collision has on your life and your family.