An Insurance Job

So, following on from the poll which suggested a minority of drivers would like cyclists to pay 'Road Tax', comes the call for cyclists to have insurance. Of course this originates from who else but the Association of British Insurers (ABI) [see the BBC piece on this here]. It's a bit like a house burglar suggesting homeowners should leave the ground floor windows open when going out -  a little bit of wealth creation me thinks.

The obligatory need for cycle insurance - that is third party and legal cover rather than a policy in case of theft - is frankly ridiculous in my opinion. Something else to reduce the desire and ease for people to use a simple and affordable means of transport. And that on top of the ignorant drivers and poor infrastructure we already suffer. That does not mean I disagree with the notion cyclists can benefit from having such cover but rather I believe it should be up to an individual to choose it than be obliged.

I do have 3rd party/legal cover courtesy of my Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) membership. This costs me £31.20 pa (5 yrs for the price of 4) and also gives me these benefits too. While I haven't actually used any discounts yet, I do enjoy my copy of 'Cycle' magazine every couple of months and also appreciate knowing if I caused an accident/injury I will be covered for any resulting claim. What I really, really like though is knowing if some twonk causes me an injury while I'm out cycling, I will have access to specialist legal advice to give them everything they legally and richly deserve. That is worth £31.20 pa all by itself in my book!