Insurer asks motorists to be more considerate when encountering cyclists

More Than Insurance says that claims for bodily vulnerable road users – including cyclists – have doubled in the past few months.

The company’s head of car insurance, Gareth Davies, said: “Bike sales have boomed during lockdown… but unfortunately, our data shows this has prompted an increase in car insurance claims for injured cyclists.

“As drivers, it’s really important to take extra precautions now that there are more cyclists on the road. Indicate clearly and give yourself and cyclists plenty of space to manoeuvre so that, if anything unexpected occurs, there is more margin for error.

“Junctions and blind corners are also hot spots when it comes to accidents with cyclists, so be extra careful and slow down when navigating these tricky turns”.

Davies added: “For cyclists, please wear a helmet and bright or reflective clothing… It is also important to use cycle lanes where possible and be extra wary of the cars around you, giving them plenty of space for overtaking where it is safe to do so.

“Cyclists undertaking or passing motorists on the left-hand side can also cause accidents, so try to avoid that as much as possible.”

While it’s welcome news that insurers are asking their policy holders to be more considerate to cyclists, they shouldn’t also detract from that message by looking to apportion blame on vulnerable road users.

There is no legal requirement to use cycle lanes, wear reflective clothing or even a helmet and although these may all be recommended it will entirely rest on the specific facts of the case whether either of those factors will have been causative to the incident at hand.

Defendant insurers often take a negative approach in claims involving cyclist, that’s why it is imperative, when a cyclist is injured, that they instruct an independent, qualified, solicitor and give themselves the best chance of obtaining compensation.