Have We Done This Yet? As reported on Bikebiz, Nationwide’s travel insurance (“free” with their FlexPlus account) now requires you to wear a helmet while cycling.

Muppets. Muppets, everywhere…

Their coverage, thier risk, their money their choice.
You can do what you want.

^This.

You can’t really blame an insurer for stipulating a condition. You’re free to use another insurer if you don’t like their decision. TBH, I’d think any adventure-sport insurer would also mandate appropriate safety gear as mountain biking is inherently a dangerous sport, just like climbing or jumping off things.

Not so sure about road or cycle touring insurance as I’ve never looked into them, but personally I’d always choose a helmet anyway.

People take out cycling insurance? Muppets.

From the linked article…

Nationwide has introduced a helmet compulsion clause to its travel insurance for FlexPlus customers – from 21st September account holders will have to wear helmets when cycling on holiday.

The new clause says: “Cycling, including on bridle paths and forest roads … Helmet must be worn.”

FlexPlus is a banking current account with added benefits, including travel insurance.

The FlexPlus travel insurance is underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd. which also underwrites travel insurance policies for NatWest, Lloyds and TSB – these policies do not contain the “Helmet must be worn” clause.

It’s free travel insurance so I suppose they can do what they like. I have this account and usually wear a helmet so it’s not really a problem.

them trails round the back of the office are serious gnar tho.

If you’re riding somewhere outside the UK and don’t want to chance needing to deal with the costs of airlifting off a mountain, associated healthcare and getting you back to a UK hospital then the few quid it costs can sound like a good choice.

In the UK, I’d think it’s more about income protection for people that can’t afford to be off work due to injury – anyone self employed for instance – less of a compelling case for many, but of great interest to any self employed people with families!

Edit having seen the above clause now: I can sort of see that bridlepath cycling etc might raise eyebrows for some as it’s probably not a very risky activity, but it’s still not exactly a huge deal. Alternatively, if it’s so safe then why is anyone concerned that their choice not to wear a helmet will result in them being uninsured?

Standard on policies from Australasia for several years.

5thElefant – Member
People take out cycling insurance? Muppets.

I made sure it was explicitly covered in my travel insurance and read all the T&C’s relating to it. I certainly can’t afford a stint in a US hospital

I have this account. be interested to see what is included/ excluded as when i looked (pre recent changes) it seemed to exclude anything that i’d deem proper cycling anyway.

I can’t remember the wording that led me to that conclusion.

they sent me some junk mail trying to entice me to sign up for an account last week. I regret even less now that it went in the bin.

Alternatively, if it’s so safe then why is anyone concerned that their choice not to wear a helmet will result in them being uninsured?

I think it’s probably the same arguments as any other helmet compulsion debate – if you compel people to wear helmets, fewer will ride, resulting in less safe conditions for those that do.

It’s unlikely anyone providing illness cover as well as accident cover would include a helmet clause for general cycling, as they will have a fairly good understanding of the overall statistics. And it sounds like the underwriters in this case have not taken the decision, the bank have (for some – probably ill-guided – reason). It would be a lot more effective if they put a provision that helmets had to be worn whilst driving a car, or climbing a step ladder, or using stairs, for instance.

It is a get out clause for not paying out claims, it has nothing to do with cycling safety or compulsion to wear helmets really, other than they know they can get away with it because of perception of helmet wearing while cycling.

Little bit off topic…but…I’m surprised that helmets are not compulsory in the UK. They have been compulsory (on the road) in NZ for about 20 years and the cops will give you a fine if caught without one! I know my helmet has saved my head many times on off road stacks over the years.

I’m struggling to light my fires of righteous indignation to be honest.

I’m surprised that helmets are not compulsory in the UK. They have been compulsory (on the road) in NZ for about 20 years and the cops will give you a fine if caught without one!

because for populations as a whole helmet compulsion actually leads to worse outcomes?

because in Australia they’ve been used as a way of reducing cycling numbers to feed a reliance on cars in cities?

all sorts of reasons but let’s not make this thread *another* helmet debate…

back to the OP – I can see that if you were visiting a major city and planning on using their bike hire scheme to get around then a helmet compulsion would make it awkward. And in the Netherlands people would laugh at you, obvs.

It is a get out clause for not paying out claims, it has nothing to do with cycling safety

this, obviously. Vote with your wallet if it bothers you!

I’m surprised that helmets are not compulsory in the UK. They have been compulsory (on the road) in NZ for about 20 years and the cops will give you a fine if caught without one! I know my helmet has saved my head many times on off road stacks over the years.

so… helmets are compulsory, except where they’re actually needed (off-road), although you choose to wear one anyway without being told to due to common sense? What a useful law!

Edit having seen the above clause now: I can sort of see that bridlepath cycling etc might raise eyebrows for some as it’s probably not a very risky activity, but it’s still not exactly a huge deal. Alternatively, if it’s so safe then why is anyone concerned that their choice not to wear a helmet will result in them being uninsured?

Agre but I’d go a step further ….
If its not risky that why would someone worry they’re not insured???

I think it’s probably the same arguments as any other helmet compulsion debate – if you compel people to wear helmets, fewer will ride, resulting in less safe conditions for those that do.

No-one is compelled (obviously unless visiting somewhere it is a legal requirement) you are just not insured. If you view it as zero risk then why would that bother you ??

If its not zero risk then .. well it’s not zero risk is it.

Disclaimer…. I always wear a helmet on single track or bike parks anyway … I have been known not to on short trips into town or such… if I don’t have the kid with me. That’s my choice but if I end up with a fractured skull it’s also my choice and shouldn’t be an insurers problem.

Incidentally, I currently have a broken arm from a low risk ride…. just a blast through Southampton bike park with the 7yr old who I was actually following at the time and not on any of the big jumps.
I just decided to jump between two parallel tracks .. long grass and a hole about 1′ deep by 27.6″ long hidden in the grass…. (Front wheel actually needed pulling out of the hole) I was wearing a helmet though 😀

Nationwide seem to be indicating via Twitter that they’re responding to this. Hopefully there’ll be a change of stance.

People take out cycling insurance? Muppets.

This is generic travel insurance. So if you’re on holiday and, say, you hire a bike to ride down to the beach and something happens (and, at a guess, that’s probably not solely head injuries but any injury), you’re only covered if you wear a helmet. Whereas if the same thing happens if you walk down to the beach you’re fine.

Alternatively, if it’s so safe then why is anyone concerned that their choice not to wear a helmet will result in them being uninsured?

Agre but I’d go a step further ….
If its not risky that why would someone worry they’re not insured??

There’s no such thing as “not risky”. It’s just that objectively neither the base risk nor the mitigating effect of a polystyrene helmet are actually as big as helmet marketing, mainstream journalism etc would have you believe.

Most people would think that travelling in a car full of airbags isn’t very risky, but around half of all traumatic brain injuries occur inside one. There’d be an uproar if insurers demanded helmets inside cars, even though the vast majority of travellers manage to travel by car without sustaining a head injury.

Similarly, figures suggest that walking has a not dissimilar per-mile rate of head injury to cycling, and most people would say walking isn’t very risky. Again there would be an uproar if insurers demanded helmets all the time you were abroad.

If its not zero risk then .. well it’s not zero risk is it.

Nothing’s zero risk. It’s not zero risk without a helmet. It’s not zero risk with a helmet. It’s not zero risk if you abandon the bicycle and set off on foot.

People don’t, on the whole, object to risk based insurance restrictions. This seems fairly arbitary – the same underwriter makes no such requirements on their othee policies.

Also;

(clearly some adjustment needs to be made based on participation)

This is generic travel insurance. So if you’re on holiday and, say, you hire a bike to ride down to the beach and something happens (and, at a guess, that’s probably not solely head injuries but any injury), you’re only covered if you wear a helmet. Whereas if the same thing happens if you walk down to the beach you’re fine.

Yes but you are not covered (presumably as i haven’t read the policy) for downhill skiing, bungee jumping, white water rafting etc. etc.

In other words the alternative is they probably simplify this and to the list of exclusions and say “does not cover cycling”

Now they are saying have an accident cycling to the beach without a helmet and you’re not covered
Instead they can just say if you are cycling you are not covered.

If you don’t want the “free insurance” you don’t need to pay for it.

Yes but you are not covered (presumably as i haven’t read the policy) for downhill skiing, bungee jumping, white water rafting etc. etc.

Those things are comparable to throwing yourself down the black runs at Morzine but have nothing whatsoever to do with hiring a bike to potter round Amsterdam, beach-hop round a Greek island or take the kids along a French voie verte.

If you don’t want the “free insurance” you don’t need to pay for it.

But, aside from the fact that it’s not free and you do of course pay for it, it’s insidious. Even if it’s currently “just” a case of someone having to pay out for a second (possibly even specialist) policy just to ride round Amsterdam like the residents do, gradually it creeps in to other insurance policies and before you know it there’s no option to be insured unless you wear a helmet even where there’s no greater risk than for walking. People who are hiring bikes in places where both helmets and head injuries are rarities will find out that they unexpectedly have no comeback for an incident which was highly unlikely and someone else’s fault; whilst people who go out to Magaluf, get themselves blind drunk and not entirely unforeseeably crack their head open falling down some stairs are probably perfectly well covered, simply because getting blind drunk is seen as a perfectly normal thing to do, and anything that befalls you whilst blind drunk is just unlucky, whilst getting on a bicycle is seen as eccentric and dangerous, and anything that befalls you while you’re on two wheels is your own stupid fault for doing something weird.

TBH I would have just assumed that no travel insurance policy would cover you for riding without a helmet.

When I was looking at travel insurance for a trip to New Zealand that would include a week’s bikepacking on mostly gentle trails, I found that even with a major insurance company (LV I think), with the “adventure sports” (or whatever) add-on, mountain biking was only covered if guided. I presume I could have got a separate specialist policy but I just didn’t bother.

I know this is the STW forum, but throwing yourself down a rocky mountainside is not the only form of cycling. You wouldn’t expect your travel insurance to expect you to wear a helmet and a harness to go for a morning jog near your hotel just because your personal idea of a walking holiday mostly involves via ferrata.

Those things are comparable to throwing yourself down the black runs at Morzine but have nothing whatsoever to do with hiring a bike to potter round Amsterdam, beach-hop round a Greek island or take the kids along a French voie verte.

Ski-ing can be the same as the bike to the beach….
I don’t consider the ski from hotel to lift to be high risk for example but I’m sure a insurance policy that excludes skiing would.

The point though as I said earlier is if riding a bike round Amsterdam is low risk then how does that affect you ?

Gradually it creeps in to other insurance policies and before you know it there’s no option to be insured unless you wear a helmet even where there’s no greater risk than for walking. People who are hiring bikes in places where both helmets and head injuries are rarities will find out that when they unexpectedly have no comeback for an incident which was highly unlikely and someone else’s fault; whilst people who go out to Magaluf, get themselves blind drunk and not entirely unforeseeably crack their head open falling down some stairs are probably perfectly well covered.

If it was a policy you were paying for then I’d find the latter more a better reason.
Why am I paying for a insurance policy that covers me to go and drink 12 pints, pop a load of pills then climb up a clock tower with no trousers on? (before not entirely unforeseeably crack their head open falling)

Personally I’d prefer to pay for a policy with some added benefits with restrictions around not getting blind drunk and injuring myself

Personally I’d prefer to pay for a policy with some added benefits with restrictions around not getting blind drunk and injuring myself

Start reading the small print… It’s in a lot of policies

On our last foreign holiday, we went on a guided ride without helmets. It was probably the first ever time the kids have ridden without helmets. The difference was, it was Copenhagen. Almost nobody there wears helmets, bike use is massive and there are statistically very few head injuries. But the mode and manner of cycling is very different.

know this is the STW forum, but throwing yourself down a rocky mountainside is not the only form of cycling

Exactly. I recently went to Amsterdam and rode a bike while not wearing a helmet.

This:

Ain’t this:

I don’t consider the ski from hotel to lift to be high risk for example but I’m sure a insurance policy that excludes skiing would.

If you’re skiing to the lift… 😉

The point though as I said earlier is if riding a bike round Amsterdam is low risk then how does that affect you ?

Well, it affects me if I ride a bike round Amsterdam, obviously. I’ve ridden many times in France without a helmet and I’m a Nationwide customer so it affects me, and the rest of my family.

But if you just sit there constantly saying “it doesn’t matter because it doesn’t affect me” then sooner or later it does. It may not be the grave subject matter of “First they came for the communists” but the principle still applies.

whilst people who go out to Magaluf, get themselves blind drunk and not entirely unforeseeably crack their head open falling down some stairs are probably perfectly well covered, simply because getting blind drunk is seen as a perfectly normal thing to do

No, they aren’t covered actually.

Almost every travel insurance policy had alcohol exclusions.

I’ve never seen a policy that doesn’t have one.

I’m glad I put the “probably” in as a half-arsed attempt to partially cover that one off 😉 Fair enough then, I went into hyperbole mode, but the remaining points still stand.

It’s worth keeping an eye of for the clauses.

For exmaple, World Nomad Insurance, who are bloody cheap BTW for travel insurace with extra Gnar Mountain Biking, have a specific exclusion for injuries where alcohol is a factor – imagine that?

So in theory, go to Morzine, screw up the Chatel Road Gap and break your back – covered. Don’t screw it up, head to Bar Robbo for a few Mutzig to celebrate and twist your ankle on the way home – not covered.

I seem to have to have 2 polices every year these days.

But if you just sit there constantly saying “it doesn’t matter because it doesn’t affect me” then sooner or later it does. It may not be the grave subject matter of “First they came for the communists” but the principle still applies.

I sort of take your point here, but insurance conditions ain’t the same as legal compulsion…

Perhaps it’s just the thin end of a slightly different wedge; insurance/financial organisations doing anything in their power to avoid costs or liability by quietly adjusting T&Cs.

Or to put it another way, read and understand your policy…

Wait, lets just focus on the big issues here. They’re brewing Mutzig again?

I sort of take your point here, but insurance conditions ain’t the same as legal compulsion…

They can become de facto compulsion if the condition becomes near universal, though. It’s not a legal requirement to wear a helmet in a car, but if every driver’s policy said you could only make an injury claim if you and your passengers were wearing them…

Can I just pop this one in here

http://www.monash.edu/muarc/research/our-publications/atsb160

Compulsory (bike) helmets when travelling in a car would make a lot more sense than compulsory bike helmets. Any country which has introduced compulsory bike helmets, but not compulsory car helmets has a completely screwed up sense of risk perception.

Any country which has introduced compulsory bike helmets, but not compulsory car helmets has a completely screwed up sense of risk perception. an ulterior motive which is at odds with public health and a sustainable energy policy.

FTFY 😉

They can become de facto compulsion if the condition becomes near universal, though.

Obviously.

The evidence for this is clear.

Universal exclusions on travel insurance policies for accidents that happen after consuming alcohol have clearly had a massive effect.

There are virtually no bars anymore in holiday resorts and almost no alcohol consumed at all. 🙄

Apples, chalk