In September 2007, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), published a press release which said :
"Deaths from motorcycle crashes have more than doubled in the past 10 years -- from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,810 in 2006 -- an alarming trend. Another 88,000 people were injured in motorcycle crashes in 2006. The yearly number of motorcycle deaths is more than double the annual total number of people killed in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined. Head injuries are a leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes, in 2005 motorcycles accounted for 18% of all road deaths."
When you consider that motorcyclists account for only 1% of road users this statistic alone indicates why insurance companies need to apply significant premiums to motorcycle insurance.
However, with an increase in motorcycle accidents of 1% since 1998 you would have expected motorcycle insurance premiums to have risen accordingly. If you compare our motorcycle insurance premiums to those of other top insurance companies you will discover just how competitive we are - so how do we do it?
Although the incidence of motorcycle accidents has increased, so has the increase of traffic - a 40% increase in motorcycle traffic since 1998.
This has allowed us to negotiate exclusive rates with a select panel of motorcycle insurance underwriters - driving down the cost of motorcycle insurance premiums. Couple this with our low administration costs and you can understand why we are consistently appear in the top five of The Rider Power Survey (Source: RiDE magazine RiDER Power Survey 2006).
why are we crashing?
- Why are we crashing?
- If we stop will this reduce insurance premiums?
Unfortunately (as with everything), it is not that straight forward. It is the cost of claims that dictates insurance premiums and with bigger, faster more expensive motorcycles, insurance claims inevitably rise.
It is a misconception that sports bike riders crash the most - you are offered no more protection by riding a moped or scooter - and government statistics indicate :
"Men are more likely to crash than women, bikers aged between 16-20 are most at risk and motorcyclists aged 31-35 are the next most likely to have an accident."
Although the frequency of crashes around towns and cities is greatest, accidents in countryside tend to be more severe. This explains why bike couriers are in a high-risk insurance occupation category and often need specialist motorcycle insurance.
Another factor is the time at which you ride … although the risk of crashing is dramatically increased during rush hour; Sunday rider's come off most often, with research indicating that :
"Couriers are the most at risk category of riders; but collectively Sunday riders account for 44% of motorcycle accidents."
where are we most likely to have a motorcycle accident?
Not surprisingly road junctions are the primary black spots and bends the next most likely place to have a motorbike accident. Weather conditions (also not surprisingly), greatly affect the likelihood of having a motorcycle accident as do road conditions.
What is less widely known (out side of motorcycling circles), is that the biker isn't always to blame :
Even though an accident may involve a motorcycle the cause is only attributable to the rider in 50% of cases with excess speed only accounting for 5%."
thiefs and vandals increases your motorcycle insurance premium
The increase of theft, fire and malicious damage to motorcycles also contributes to motorcycle insurance premiums, industry watchdogs report :
"The recovery rate for stolen bikes is poor; with only around 40% of stolen motorcycles being recovered."
This is of course an average - if you own a super bike or classic bike then expect a far lower recovery rate. With such poor recovery rates for motorcycles - insurance premiums are bound to be higher. This is why motorcycle security is a major insurance rating factor - even a simple, approved, mechanical lock can save you money and an electronic motorcycle immobiliser or motorcycle tracking device might make the difference between being able to get insurance and not.
Even simple precautions like putting your motorcycle under an unassuming cover or better still into a locked garage can greatly reduce its chances of being stolen. However, beware … if you tell an insurance company that you motorcycle will be kept in a garage and your bike is stolen from outside of / in its vicinity , then your insurance may be invalidated or it may dramatically increase your motorcycle insurance excess (the amount you have to pay out of a claim). Always check this when buying motorcycle insurance and carefully read your insurance policy documents.
Although this all sounds rather daunting, as many of us ride we understand the needs of bikers as well as the complexities of motorcycle insurance
To find out for yourself …
- call 0844 8800 962 (a local rate number) to speak to an insurance advisor in the UK
- generate an online motorcycle insurance quote or retrieve your motorcycle insurance details by clicking here to visit our online motorcycle insurance centre
Wicked Quotes : committed to quality and service
Wicked Quotes is part of the Ramasis Insurance group and as such aims to promote the highest standards of service on all motorcycle insurance and associated motorcycle insurance products.
Clients of Wicked Quotes can rest assured that the insurance / associated insurance products sold either through our online insurance services or through our UK insurance call centres reflect the passion and excellence associated with the brand. We always have insurance ratings for new or soon to be released motorcycles and have negotiated exclusive terms for riders with motoring convictions or an adverse claims history.
All our insurance advisors are fully trained both in the motorcycle insurance products we offer and in the range of motorcycles on the market (many being riders and trainers). We aim to answer calls to our UK only call centres within three rings during office hours.
Wicked Quotes - award winning motorcycle & motorcycle insurance