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Title – Travellers warned over insurance
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 29th June 2008
It is very easy to say always check the small print of your travel insurance, but in reality how many of us really do. Think about it have you ever actually read a 64 page policy cover to cover? Have you even ever checked your car or home insurance policy from cover to cover? Many people skirt over it, most simply read the ‘highlights’ presented by the company themselves in their booklets and trust them to point out the key exclusions and try and travel within these guidelines.
Knowing this you would think that insurance companies would make every effort to cover these points in their booklets and ‘key facts’ pages. Any company that has any understanding of Gap Years must accept that the temptation for ‘Gappers’ to use scooters, mopeds and even motorbikes as forms of transport in some countries can be overwhelming and sometimes not just the cheapest but often the only means of transport. Not only do they rent these, but often motorbike-taxis are a standard form of public transport.
I am not about to defend the insurance companies or those people that choose to hire motorbikes and mopeds in countries where they are not qualified, experienced enough or legally allowed to use them. But we also have to face reality as do the insurance companies, either accept it will happen and cover it or make it very clear it is not covered and warn people of the dangers.
James’s story is sadly far from unique and motorcycle accidents are one of the common causes of injury and death of gap year students. What seems like a fun, cheap, harmless and convenient means of transport can quickly turn to tragedy on the often ‘crazy’ roads of the countries ‘Gappers’ visit. The state of the roads, condition of the motorcycles they rent and the aggressive driving of other vehicles all play their part, add to this the invincibility that some people feel when travelling that leads them to think that alcohol or drugs will not impede them either.
But what about the motorbike-taxi, are you insured using these? Go to Cambodia for example and you will find them the cheapest and most common form of transport when visiting the great temples of Siem Reip, would you be insured when using them? Do the drivers have to hold a UK driving licence or will a local licence do? Must you have checked their drivers licence before you jump on the back? You may be waiting a long time to find one who has his licence on him and is willing to show you…
Many travellers have been injured on motorcycles some seriously as in James’s case; others were less fortunate; some get off lightly and survive with grazes; in countries like Cambodia a frightening number of people receive serious burns on their right legs from being a passenger on the back of a motorcycle and coming into contact with the exhaust pipe, these easily turn septic in the heat and humidity and can put an end to your trip.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop helps prepare anyone planning to travel to understand the dangers they will face and how to mitigate them. We always advise candidates against the use of motorcycles where they are not qualified or experienced enough to use them (This includes in the Cook Islands where you can obtain a motorcycle licence by sitting a test and paying a fee in a single day; the test is often ignored, but the fee is always strictly observed…). We make candidates aware of the consequences of having an accident if their insurance cover is insufficient and how it could result in them or a family member spending their life savings to repatriate them. At the very least we recommend that suitable safety equipment is used.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 29th June 2008
It is very easy to say always check the small print of your travel insurance, but in reality how many of us really do. Think about it have you ever actually read a 64 page policy cover to cover? Have you even ever checked your car or home insurance policy from cover to cover? Many people skirt over it, most simply read the ‘highlights’ presented by the company themselves in their booklets and trust them to point out the key exclusions and try and travel within these guidelines.
Knowing this you would think that insurance companies would make every effort to cover these points in their booklets and ‘key facts’ pages. Any company that has any understanding of Gap Years must accept that the temptation for ‘Gappers’ to use scooters, mopeds and even motorbikes as forms of transport in some countries can be overwhelming and sometimes not just the cheapest but often the only means of transport. Not only do they rent these, but often motorbike-taxis are a standard form of public transport.
I am not about to defend the insurance companies or those people that choose to hire motorbikes and mopeds in countries where they are not qualified, experienced enough or legally allowed to use them. But we also have to face reality as do the insurance companies, either accept it will happen and cover it or make it very clear it is not covered and warn people of the dangers.
James’s story is sadly far from unique and motorcycle accidents are one of the common causes of injury and death of gap year students. What seems like a fun, cheap, harmless and convenient means of transport can quickly turn to tragedy on the often ‘crazy’ roads of the countries ‘Gappers’ visit. The state of the roads, condition of the motorcycles they rent and the aggressive driving of other vehicles all play their part, add to this the invincibility that some people feel when travelling that leads them to think that alcohol or drugs will not impede them either.
But what about the motorbike-taxi, are you insured using these? Go to Cambodia for example and you will find them the cheapest and most common form of transport when visiting the great temples of Siem Reip, would you be insured when using them? Do the drivers have to hold a UK driving licence or will a local licence do? Must you have checked their drivers licence before you jump on the back? You may be waiting a long time to find one who has his licence on him and is willing to show you…
Many travellers have been injured on motorcycles some seriously as in James’s case; others were less fortunate; some get off lightly and survive with grazes; in countries like Cambodia a frightening number of people receive serious burns on their right legs from being a passenger on the back of a motorcycle and coming into contact with the exhaust pipe, these easily turn septic in the heat and humidity and can put an end to your trip.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop helps prepare anyone planning to travel to understand the dangers they will face and how to mitigate them. We always advise candidates against the use of motorcycles where they are not qualified or experienced enough to use them (This includes in the Cook Islands where you can obtain a motorcycle licence by sitting a test and paying a fee in a single day; the test is often ignored, but the fee is always strictly observed…). We make candidates aware of the consequences of having an accident if their insurance cover is insufficient and how it could result in them or a family member spending their life savings to repatriate them. At the very least we recommend that suitable safety equipment is used.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
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