crhilton

This article isn't particularly about the title, but it's what lead me down this line of thought most recently: https://www.philly.com/philly/opinion...nt_Debate.html


In the link you'll notice at least one, and I think two, people who seem to believe that bicycles pay nothing comparable to auto insurance. It's true that no states mandate insurance for cycling. It's not true that without mandatory auto insurance drivers wouldn't pay the costs.

Because auto insurance covers accidents, theft, and anything else you can do to someone or have done to you via your automobile and exists mostly to protect individuals from the costs they cannot bear, but society can: It's mostly a way to pay a very real personal cost over time in a socialistic way. It's not a tax. The Government isn't taking your auto insurance and spending it somewhere. You're mostly paying for your own costs and negligence awards in the event of an accident or theft.

So, as it maps to bicycles: Cyclists are under precisely the same negligence law. They must pay the same costs. The main difference is not a lack of mandatory coverage but a lack of a major cost to be divided amongst insurance.

It's probably true that some cyclists have fallen on $500,000 cars and caused serious damage they can't afford; they may have then stiffed the driver. It's not true that this is a common cost on the level of $1,200 per year per cyclist (about what I pay to insure my auto).

Personally I'd have no problem paying for special insurance. It'd be kind of a relief to have it actually. I imagine it would be quite cheap (on the order of $50 per year) but I can't back that up. I'm guessing that many cyclists would happily pay the cost. My understanding is that many of us actually pay it in our home owners policy, but it's not very explicit or obvious.

It bothers me when people assume that cyclists aren't paying their way (responsibility wise). What they really mean is that poor cyclists aren't paying their way if they cause an accident that they can't afford the costs of. The lack of insurance does not indicate a lack of legal responsibility.

Thoughts? Things I missed or got totally wrong?

PS - I'm not interesting in discussing infrastructure costs in this thread. That's a separate thread. I'm also not looking to discuss enforcement of laws on cyclists.

CB HI

My auto insurance covers any medical cost caused to me or that I might cause to someone else while cycling. Homeowners insurance covers property damage not covered by auto insurance. So the whiners are just idiots that do not understand what they are talking about.

cyclist2000

I was thinking that I could get a separate rider to cover my bikes. kind of like a jewelry rider, to cover replacement without depreciation or deductable. Years ago I had a bike stolen and I got $300 for a $500 bike that was three years old. That depreciation kills me. If someone broke in and stole all 9 bikes my insurance agent would freak out. He could not believe that my wife has a $400 purse, what would he think about a $3000 bikes!

Pretty soon we'll be buying bicycle insurance and then be paying for licensing fees for our bikes and property taxes

Well I digress, but don't mention the tax stuff in Omaha or we will be paying for it soon.

sauerwald

The question of insurance is twofold - there is the liability insurance that makes sure that I will be able to compensate someone for the damage that I might cause as a result of an accident with my bicycle. If we look at the actual damage caused by bicycle accidents, it is probably on a par with the damage caused by washing machines and less than that caused by lawnmowers - perhaps we should be considering requiring liability insurance for lawnmowers too? - The other component of insurance is damage to the bicycle itself, or to pay my own medical expenses that arise from an accident which is my fault - I have both of those things covered through my health insurance and my homeowners insurance (there is a rider on our homeowners insurance to cover the bicycles). Bottom line is that I am fully insured on my bicycle. The issue with those people who whine about bicycles needing to be registered, taxed and insured is that the costs associated with automobiles are vastly higher than those for bicycles - the required road infrastructure, the damage caused, the pollution, etc. Because many people see personal automobiles as being ubiquitous they feel that driving is a right - and as such society should subsidize it.

jputnam

There are really three components to look at: liability to others, your own medical expenses, and your own property damage.

Liability is what the law requires for motorists. For cyclists, it's too cheap to sell separately -- cycling liability is generally covered at no additional cost as part of the personal liability coverage of your homeowners or renters insurance. $500,000 of personal liability coverage (including cycling) generally costs less than a couple of weeks of auto insurance minimum liability.

Your own medical expenses can be covered various ways. Obviously, there's your health insurance. If you have car insurance, you may also be covered for injuries when you are hit by a car -- that's still a motor vehicle accident, even if you weren't the one in a motor vehicle at the time. Depending on the laws of your state and the wording of your policy, this could cover you under uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, no-fault medical or PIP, and accidental death coverage.

Your bicycle is personal property, generally covered under homeowners or renters insurance. Inexpensive home/renters policies generally cover personal property at depreciated actual cash value; for a little extra money you can get coverage at replacement cost. (But before filing a homeowners claim, evaluate what it may do to your homeowners premium. Some companies may even non-renew your coverage after a claim.)

Disclaimer: I am not your insurance agent. Read your own policies for details of your own coverage.

San Rensho 

In many states, if you have a car with liability insurance it will pay for any negligence claims against you while you ride a bike. Auto no-fault will also cover you for medical bills and lost wages in many states, and uninsured motorist will also cover you for damages to you caused by the negligence of uninsured drivers. Check your insurance policy and ask your agent or a lawyer about coverage in your state. If your UM covers you riding a bike, I strongly suggest getting UM limits in the 500k to 1 million range. The premium is only slightly higher than getting the minimum UM coverage.