A non-profit, community, and advocacy organisation that promotes safe everyday bicycle riding has urged Central Queenslanders to get insured against the risk of incurring huge medical bills in the event of an accident.
But according to a decorated Rockhampton cyclist, recreational riders should take their own circumstances into account when deciding whether to take out an insurance policy.
"Over half of all Queensland homes have access to a bicycle, although many may not realise they don't have adequate insurance coverage for accidents and injuries,” said Anne Savage, CEO of Bicycle Queensland in
The Morning Bulletin report. "Our estimates suggest thousands of everyday bike riders have no public liability or personal accident insurance, leaving riders exposed to risks of large payouts should an accident occur.”
Savage said that despite having “one of the most cycle-friendly environments in the world,” even minor collisions can prove costly without insurance for third-party damages and personal injury.
“Comprehensive rider insurance is critical to community cycling – it helps to minimise the potential financial hardship that families could face in the event of a minor accident or collision,” she said.
Kenrick Tucker, an Olympian who represented Australia in track cycling, said it is up to people to decide if it was right for them to take out insurance.
“Certainly, it's something to think about,” he told the publication.
Tucker said people should decide whether to take out insurance based on how much they used their bikes on the road and where they went. He also said accidents did happen and someone always had to take blame.
Public liability and personal accident insurance costs about $100 a year for cyclists and $150 to insure a family, the report said.
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