People are more afraid of hurting themselves gardening than on a scooter
[Dagmar Gilden | 12.06]A survey conducted by Seesam has revealed that almost three quarters of people worry about falling over in icy conditions, more than half about accidents involving their loved ones and a third about injuring themselves doing housework or gardening. Fewer are concerned about workplace accidents or falling off scooters.
Seesam’s Accident Insurance Product Manager Dagmar Gilden says that although most people in Estonia dread the idea of being injured in the course of day-to-day activities, just 24% have taken out accident insurance. “A third of respondents aren’t even considering it, while another third have only considered insuring themselves against unexpected costs and negative experiences involving their health or property,” she explained.
Gilden says interest in accident insurance has remained at much the same level over the years, with most who take out a policy having already been in an accident themselves or being close to someone who has.
Basketball is the most dangerous sport
Gilden adds that people’s fears are justified inasmuch as they tally with statistics: topping the accident rankings are falls due to slipperiness or tripping, followed by incidents in which fingers or toes are hit or have something fall on them, then injuries from sports, housework and gardening. The nature of accidents also tends to change with the seasons. For example, winter typically results in more falls, but contrary to popular belief not solely or primarily affecting older people: more than half of all such incidents involve people under the age of 40 who are moving at a faster pace and with less caution, running to catch a bus or concentrating on their phones rather than where they are walking. Whereas in previous years the number of accidents increased in summer, last year’s long winter saw a higher number of incidents occurring in the colder months, leading to a 10% rise in indemnities.
Gilden adds that spring is the high season for gardening and sports – and, consequently, for related accidents. “Most of the claims we get that are to do with garden work and amateur sports involve muscle strain, dislocated joints, minor wounds, broken bones and concussion,” she explained. “Accidents in the garden tend to occur when people are sawing, cutting back tree branches, climbing on ladders, tidying up their greenhouses or dragging heavy rocks around. Where sports injuries are concerned, most are the fault of ball games. The most dangerous is basketball, which results in twice as many injuries as any other ball game. Disc golf has started appearing on claims as well, which seems like it should be a lot more leisurely than most sports, but players still tend to fall over a fair bit on wet grass and in the mud.”
Gilden says that although people rarely perceive threats in environments they consider safe and familiar, the fact remains that one false move or moment of inattention can lead to an accident it will take them weeks to recover from. On average, accidents tend to leave their victims signed off work for three weeks. In Seesam, without additional indemnity for pain and suffering, the average daily allowance benefit is up to 1000 euros. The highest such benefits in 2022 were €4200 and €6000.
People underestimate the risk of riding scooters
As an experienced insurer, Gilden is surprised by the fact that people fail to see riding a scooter as an activity which could result in an accident: just 9% of respondents considered it potentially dangerous. The survey showed that those most afraid of accidents involving scooters are people aged 18-29. Gilden says the number of such accidents has risen sharply, and not just at specific times, but throughout the year. They are more likely to befall adults who use these convenient means of getting around to cover short distances quickly. Speed and inattentiveness are the main causes of the accidents, with alcohol exacerbating both on weekends and in summer. “Injuries to the elbows, wrists and ribs are common, in the form of fractures and the severe knocks they take,” says Gilden. “We also see a lot of injuries to the head and teeth – the latter of which the victims may find rather costly to repair. There are a couple of extreme cases on our books as well where the handles of the scooter injured the riders’ eyes.”
But accidents happen, and there is no way of preventing them all. You can, however, make summer safer for yourself by concentrating on the task at hand – whether that be gardening, barbecuing, riding a scooter or playing sport – and using safety equipment. Since this time of year is also trampoline season, Gilden recommends going over the safety rules before letting children play on them. The best way of minimising the risk of accidents is to only allow one child on at a time, taking no toys or other objects onto the trampoline with them. Parents should also make sure the equipment is in good order, firmly fixed to the ground and enclosed by a safety net.
