Monday, June 30, 2008

Travellers warned over insurance

By Joe Lynam
Business reporter, BBC News

British standards are being applied unfairly overseas as a basis for rejecting travel insurance claims, according to a consumer watchdog.

The Consumer Action Group (CAG) wants companies to be clearer with customers when selling travel insurance.

It cites the case of a 19-year-old who crashed a moped in Vietnam but his insurer refused to pay out.

The insurance firm involved said the policy "clearly stated" that the driver must have a full UK motorcycle licence.

The warning from the CAG comes as millions of gap year students and schoolchildren prepare to take their holidays this summer.

The group has highlighted the example of gap year student James Pinnington, 19, who crashed his moped in Vietnam in May, breaking both his legs.

Although James had what he thought was comprehensive travel insurance and a full driving licence and was wearing a helmet, his insurer refused to honour the claim because he did not have a full UK Class A motorcycle licence.

Officially any class of UK or international driving licence would not apply in Vietnam and local moped and car users are required to have separate licences, although these laws are not strictly applied in practice.

James's father Chris had to pay £25,000 to transport his son from a remote village in Vietnam to London via Bangkok.

The policy, which was purchased from Boots Gap Year Travel Insurance, stipulates that a full UK motorcycle licence would be required on page 13 of a 64 page document containing all the terms and conditions.

However, the Consumer Action Group said this condition should have been contained in the "Key Facts" booklet.

“We consider that it was unwise and probably unfair that this important requirement was omitted from the ‘Key Facts' booklet (in the terms and conditions) and we believe that Mr Pinnington may have suffered as a result,” according to Marc Gander from the CAG.

“We consider that the provision of a "Key Facts" booklet and then the omission of important key facts amounts to a misinformation.”

850,000 claims

In a statement, Boots said: "Our Gap Year Insurance policy wording clearly states that a claim will not be paid 'arising from using a two-wheeled motor vehicle as a driver or passenger if you are not wearing a crash helmet and the driver is not a holder of a full UK category A motorcycle licence'."

Last year more than 20 million people took out some form of travel insurance in Britain - of which just over 4% (850,000) claims were made. The Association of British Insurers denies using "small print" to avoid paying claims.

"Insurance companies pay out when genuine claims are made," according to Malcolm Tarling from the ABI. “We don't look at ways not to pay.

"The last thing we want is to leave people high and dry with medical injuries. Last year we paid out £200m for people who fell ill overseas.

"The key thing to do is avoid getting into difficulties is to read the Terms and Conditions. If you are unclear, talk to your insurance company or broker.”

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Video Report - Talladega wannabe accused of doing 176 mph on Highway 11-W


Rogersville officer Travis Fields inspects the 2003 Yamaha seized Sunday from Rusty Shane Webb, who allegedly hit 176 mph on Highway 11-W. Photo by Jeff Bobo.

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ROGERSVILLE — Hitting 176 mph on a motorcycle might be about average for the road course at Talladega Superspeedway, but it’s quite extreme for Highway 11-W in Rogersville.

Early Sunday morning, Rogersville police arrested Rusty Shane Webb, 26, 114 Lipe Lane, Rogersville, for allegedly hitting 176 mph while fleeing an attempted traffic stop.

Arresting Officer Travis Fields told the Times-News Monday he clocked Webb at 135 mph during a high-speed pursuit before losing contact.

After his arrest, however, Webb allegedly admitted to hitting 176 mph on a 2003 Yamaha. Webb also told police he’d built to race on the Talladega, Ala., road course next month.

Webb’s racing plans have been derailed, as the motorcycle has been impounded — and if Rogersville police have their way, will be seized permanently. If Webb had put a bit more gasoline in the tank, however, he’d probably still have his racer.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Gap year travel: Check insurance, father urges


A father left with a £25,000 bill after his son was injured in Vietnam has issued a warning to other gap-year travellers. Jeremy Skidmore reports.

A father has warned gap year students and their parents to scrutinise the small print of insurance policies after he was left with a £25,000 bill when his son was injured in a scooter accident in Vietnam.

James Pinnington, 19, from Wimbledon, south-west London, hit an electricity pylon while riding in a remote area of Nha Trang in Vietnam last month, four months into a gap year holiday. He broke both legs, fractured his vertebra and suffering internal bleeding.

James's father, Chris, flew out straight away. Unhappy with the treatment on offer in the local hospital, he organised for his son to be transferred by air ambulance to Ho Chi Minh City and then on to Bangkok. James was then flown home on a Thai Airways jet, lying across economy seats and accompanied by a doctor and nurse. The total bill came to £25,000.

Mr Pinnington had bought an insurance policy for his son from Boots, because it included extreme activities and appeared to offer the most comprehensive cover - up to £10 million for medical claims and repatriation expenses.

However, Boots said James was not covered because, although he was wearing a helmet, he did not have a full UK motorcycle licence. This exclusion is on page 14 of a 50-page document.

Boots recommended its own repatriation service to help Mr Pinnington, and quoted a fee of £85,000 to fly James home.

"I even read a copy of the policy before I bought it because I am very careful, and I thought it was very comprehensive," said Mr Pinnington. "But, of course, when disaster strikes, they happily find a small-print loophole. Most children on gap years in Asia at some point rent a moped, because that's how they get around. But I bet only a tiny percentage of them have a full UK motorcycle licence.

"I'm not expecting to get my money back from Boots now. I just want to warn people to check their policies very carefully, so they don't have the same experience as us."

Insurance companies specialising in gap year insurance offer different levels of cover. Many state that scooter riders must wear a helmet and have a full UK motorcycle licence. Others, such as Real Gap Insurance and Ace Traveller, insist only that riders wear a helmet.

James has now been operated on in Britain and is expected to make a full recovery. He is hoping to be well enough to take up a place at Bristol University in October.

Tom Griffiths, the founder of Gapyear.com, an advice and social networking site, said: "Our research shows that 25 per cent of [gap year] students are either not insured or under-insured. It's no exaggeration to say they are putting their parents' homes at risk. We hear of costs of between £50,000 and £100,000 to cover medical bills, and some people have had to remortgage or sell their home to pay. There is no consistency between policies, so you must make sure you get the right one and telephone the company to talk about the cover if you are not sure."

In a statement, Boots said: "Boots have investigated Mr Pinnington's claim. Our Gap Year Insurance policy wording clearly states that a claim will not be paid 'arising from using a two-wheeled motor vehicle as a driver or passenger if you are not wearing a crash helmet and the driver is not a holder of a full UK category A motorcycle licence'.

"Boots and the insurance underwriters of the policy AIG UK will continue to liaise with Mr Pinnington about his complaint."

The company is investigating the discrepancy between the two quotes for the cost of repatriation.

Friday, June 20, 2008

3-wheelers in line for green light


Monday, June 16, 2008 3:17 AM
By Amanda Dolasinski

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Three-wheel electric cars will soon be legal on Ohio roads, as Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to sign a bill recognizing them as motorcycles.

The cars currently don't fit any of the state's definitions of motor vehicles, said Julie Ehrhart, spokeswoman for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. "They're not qualified as a motorcycle because they don't have a saddle, but they're not qualified as motor vehicles either because they don't meet federal safety guidelines.

"The lawmakers need to change the motorcycle outline from having a saddle to having a saddle or a seat."

That's what an amendment to the state construction budget bill did. The legislature passed the bill this week, and it will take effect 90 days after Strickland signs it, which he is expected to do next week.

"The governor has supported it and plans to sign it," said spokesman Keith Dailey.

One version of the three-wheel vehicles is the NmG-1 (for "no more gas"), which carries one person and is sold by Myers Motors in Tallmadge, just east of Akron.

It comes in vibrant colors, including aqua and lilac. The vehicle goes up to 76 mph and gets 35 to 45 miles per charge; a completely depleted battery can be charged in six to eight hours, according to the company's Web site.

Myers says its car costs 1 to 2 cents per mile to operate compared with 8 cents per mile for a gas hybrid that gets 50 miles to the gallon at $3.99 a gallon. It's priced at about $35,000, says Myers' Web site.

So far, one person, in Clinton County, has attempted to obtain title and registration for a three-wheel vehicle, and manufacturers who want to sell them have sent letters asking the bureau how they could be made street legal, Ehrhart said.

Under the proposed law, people driving the three-wheel vehicles would be expected to follow motorcycle laws, including wearing a helmet for the first year, even though they would be enclosed in the vehicle.

Drivers would have to take the motorcycle skills test instead of the motor vehicle maneuverability test and get a motorcycle endorsement on their license, Ehrhart said.

The motorcycle designation might be temporary, she said. "We've sat down and gathered everyone who is involved to patch it quickly by categorizing it as a motorcycle, and then maybe later (legislation) can draft it into a different categorization."

It's unclear whether the vehicles will be insured as a motorcycle or a car.

"It's up to the insurance companies on what kind of policy they want to write," said Jarrett Dunbar, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Insurance.

Mike Jucha, finance manager at Ohio Motorcycle in Hilliard, said the company is unfamiliar with the three-wheel vehicles but has been looking for alternatives for its customers.

"We have discussed selling some versions of electric scooters," he said. "We have considered other options because of the economy."

adolasinski@dispatch.com

Monday, June 16, 2008

Scooting past sky-high gas prices


A pickup truck, motorcycle, six bicycles and a scooter sit in George Hunter's garage and driveway.

But for the retired schoolteacher, the scooter is the preferred choice.

"The scooter is just the best choice for what I need -- it's cheap on gas and easy to get around in," the 61-year-old said.

According to Roanoke Valley bike merchants, Hunter is just one example of the scooter craze in America that is infiltrating Southwest Virginia.

The number of registered motorcycles and scooters in Virginia increased 81 percent from 2001-07 to 166,806, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Their low price, low maintenance and high fuel mileage have caused an average of a 50 percent sales increase on scooters and motorcycles, according to three area dealers.

Sales on brand-name scooters such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki rose 24 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council trade group.

Michael Bower, general manager at Star City Powersports on Peters Creek Road, said on Friday that he had one scooter left and anticipates a new shipment.

This two-wheeler trend can be seen across the board, from the smallest motor scooters that don't require a license or insurance to small motorcycles.

The fuel-stingy scooters have a 50cc engine and can get anywhere from 75 to 100 miles per gallon. Their prices are as low as $1,300 and they require no insurance. Most of these scooters max out at 30 mph, though, making interstate driving impossible.

Larger scooters are also available that have more powerful engines that can reach 60 to 80 mph. They require a license but not insurance. They cost between $5,500 and $7,500.

The two-wheeler selling season usually begins toward the end of February and drops off toward the beginning of the summer, dealers say.

However, with fuel prices pushing $4 a gallon, the Roanoke bike shop owners say they think they will continue to see high sales throughout the summer.

Monday, June 9, 2008

a 24-hour party – with one hell of a race attached


Le Mans is the endurance race. The track is one of the fastest, most challenging in the world and the race lasts not just a few minutes or even a few hours. It lasts an entire day. Which is why most would agree that Les Vingt-Quatre Heures du Mans, which takes place next weekend, is one of the greatest races in the world.

Certainly, British fans need no convincing. For decades tens of thousands of Brits have flocked to Le Mans, making it the third most popular motor sport event after the British Grand Prix and the Goodwood Revival.

In fact many of the 35,000 British spectators have come to regard it as a British motor race that just happens to take place in France. You have only to look at the bulging British campsites and the endless convoys of British sports cars making their way from the Channel ports to the circuit just south of the city of Le Mans to know it.

Why do they do it? Most British fans look upon it not only as a race but a great weekend away. They tend to go in groups, driving down, camping at the track, drinking too much, staying up most of the night and soaking up the sights and sounds and smells of the race.

The prizes go to the cars that cover the most distance in 24 hours. Teams compete in four separate classes, though they share the same track at the same time. Top of the pile are custom-built Le Mans prototypes, which are split into two categories, LMP1 and LMP2, and divided by speed, weight and power output. The next two classes are production-based grand tourers, also divided by speed, weight and power output and known as GT1 and GT2.

Traditionally the race began with a Le Mans start, with the cars parked in the pit lane and the drivers running to them, clambering in, turning on the ignition and racing away. The practice has been replaced with a rolling start because of safety concerns (with a Le Mans start, there was no time for drivers to strap themselves into safety harnesses before pulling away).

Once under way, the cars may stop to refuel and to be repaired as often as they need, but the clock is ticking so the race is as much a test of the cars’ stamina and reliability over 24 hours as that of the drivers.

Originally two drivers would take it in turns behind the wheel. However, in recent years this has changed in an attempt to reduce driver fatigue and crashes. Today drivers are not allowed to drive for more than four hours consecutively, and no driver can drive for more than 14 hours in total.

This year’s main race is likely to be a battle between Audi and Peugeot. Each team is fielding three diesel-powered prototype racing cars. Jacques Villeneuve, the former Formula One world champion, is driving for Peugeot while Scotland’s Allan McNish lines up in the Audi squad.

In the GT class, Aston Martin will be hoping for a successful defence of last year’s win with its DBR9 racer. It has Heinz-Harald Frentzen, another F1 driver, to help beat its principal opposition, the Chevrolet Corvette.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Motorcycle injuries continue to rise


Cheryl Chan, The Province
Published: Sunday, June 01, 2008
With motorcycle-related crashes on B.C. roads at their highest since 2000, Dave Munro is becoming busier than he'd like to be.

The president of the Vancouver chapter of the Association of Injured Motorcyclists spends about

30 hours a week helping a largely forgotten segment of motorcycle crash victims -- the survivors.

"It's almost like a full-time job," said the 62-year-old Surrey man. "We're always busy in the summer."

The death of Canucks defenceman Luc Bourdon last week highlighted the vulnerability of bikers on the road.

The 21-year-old died after his three-week-old Suzuki motorcycle collided head-on with a transport truck on a New Brunswick highway. His funeral is scheduled for tomorrow at an ice rink in his hometown of Shippagan, N.B.

But even as motorcycle deaths remained steady in B.C., fluctuating between 35 and 45 from 2003 to '06, motorcycle-related injuries have continued to climb.

Over a recent six-month period, volunteers from the Surrey-based nonprofit association made 125 visits to G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre, helping eight downed riders cope with the aftermath of their crashes and navigate through the maze of disability benefits and insurance claims.

"Most people don't know these things," said Munro. "When someone is injured in hospital, they're traumatized and foremost on their mind is their injury."

The group, which has about 200 members locally and 1,200 across B.C., pitches in wherever it's needed: It has installed wheelchair ramps, taken care of pets, subsidized family members' airfares and provided motorcycle magazines and emotional support.

There are currently three injured bikers in rehab at G.F. Strong and one man still in hospital after a serious crash two months ago, said Munro. But because AIM cannot approach injured motorcyclists for privacy reasons, Munro believes there are a lot more out there.

According to police data, there were 1,233 injuries and 37 fatalities from motorcycle crashes in 2006. ICBC numbers also reveal injuries increased from 882 in 2001 to 1,153 in 2005, a 31-per-cent jump.

Munro believes accidents on bikes are inevitable. "There's two kinds of riders: Ones that have had accidents and ones that are going to

have accidents. It's just a matter

of how bad it is."

He knows this first-hand. After 40 years of accident-free riding, an unexpected collision in October 2004 left him an amputee.

Munro was cruising down 264th Street in Aldergrove on his Harley-Davidson bike when a pickup with no headlights crossed the median and plowed into his path. "He was on top of my leg when I saw him," said Munro.

The impact nearly tore his leg off. Doctors amputated his left leg below the knee.

Munro, who now wears a prosthetic limb, spent a year in rehab and fought off depression by continuing his volunteer work. "It kept my mind off what's going on with me."

Out of the seven people in his group-therapy program, two or three were also in serious motorcycle crashes, he said.

Depending on the extent of their injuries, motorcycle accidents can be "life-altering," said Dr. Jennifer Yao, a physical medicine and rehab specialist at G.F. Strong. "Motorcycle accidents tend to be high-velocity and multi-trauma."

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Gas prices too high? iReporters use bikes, trains


By Kate Taylor

(CNN) -- Americans are seeking new ways to get to work, with soaring gas prices suddenly making their cars and SUVs uncomfortable -- or at least expensive -- places to be.

On average, Americans spend almost 50 minutes driving to and from work each day and changing habits can be hard in cities where public transport has not kept up with the growth of suburbs.

With the average price of gas up to $3.92 a gallon Friday -- a record high, according to the American Automobile Association -- many commuters are considering alternative means of transportation.

iReporters told CNN that going car-less just takes a little research, exploration and planning.

Soon after Elizabeth Peisner of Los Angeles, California, bought a new car, gas prices exploded. After years of driving around Los Angeles, Peisner decided to look into the Los Angeles Metro.

Peisner was delighted to find she could take the Metro from a stop near her home in the Valley straight to her office downtown. Since then she's reorganized her life so that everywhere she needs to go is accessible via the Metro. She even found a new doctor whose office is on the Metro line.

A teacher, Peisner runs into fellow staff and students on the train. She says she's forged new friendships by sharing commutes.

"It has become a new way to rediscover the city I have called home my entire life but never really knew that much about," Peisner explained. "I love my Metro."

It appears that Peisner is not alone in making the switch to public transportation.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, ridership increased by 2.1 percent in 2007, with Americans taking 10.3 billion trips on public transportation, the highest level in 50 years, the group said.

Those numbers add up to fewer cars on the road. Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less in March 2008 than in March 2007. That's 11 billion fewer miles, the DOT's Federal Highway Administration said Monday, and it is the sharpest yearly drop for any month in the agency's history.

Robert Elliott used to go to the gym every morning, but after the birth of his two children 13 months apart, that changed. One day at work, Elliott was complaining to his co-workers about the weight he'd gained, when one of them suggested he bike to work.

"I said, 'Are you kidding me? In Phoenix?' " Elliott envisioned himself as the sole biker surrounded by cars on the city's grid system of streets. Instead, Elliott's co-worker used Google Earth to show him a 12-mile network of paved trails, a section of which passed by their office. Elliott says he'd been looking for bike trail maps for a while with no luck. "You have to ask around," he explained.

Now, Elliott rides 23 miles round trip three times a week. "It started off being a bit of a challenge," he said. "You have to bike both ways. Sometimes you feel a little concerned, am I going to get home? You can literally run out of energy. You have to make sure you drink plenty of water." See a photolog of Elliott's bike ride to work

"And," Elliott added, "You're used to having your car at work, to run errands and stuff."

But, Elliott says, the payoff has been worth it. He did a few weekend test runs to make sure he was ready to bike so far. "The wife's always on call with the minivan," he added.

He's gotten used to the distance, and now Elliott prefers biking to driving, although it takes about 20 minutes more each way. "I'm losing weight, and it's stress-free, not having to sit in traffic." Take a narrated tour of another city's gridlock traffic

To pass the time while biking, Elliot has been listening to Spanish lessons on his MP3 player. "I'm out there on the trails, speaking Spanish," he mused.

Kate Mullins lives just outside Springfield, Missouri, and admits that she finds the city bus system in her area "weird." Wanting to avoid spending money to drive their 1979 Chevy Nova, Mullins and her husband each bought a used scooter. Now, she says, they save about $200 a month on gas.

Mullins rides her scooter to work every day, and it's not powerful enough to take on the highway, so the trip takes her twice as long as the 15-minute drive to work in the car. But Mullins doesn't mind; she enjoys the wind in her hair and calls it "a fun little ride." Hear from another iReporter who adores his scooter

"It saves me a heck of a lot more gas," Mullins said. "It's gotten to the point where most of us are doing what we can."

When Heath and Danyah Johnson of Roanoke, Texas, were given the option of working in the same building, they jumped at it. Both teachers, the Johnsons work in a school district that allows married couples to work together.

Although, as Heath said, it's "a lot of togetherness," the convenience makes up for the challenge. The Johnsons have one car, which they usually take to work, dropping their sons off on the way. On the days the boys ride the bus, Heath and Danyah Johnson take the motorcycle. Hear from an iReporter who calls motorcycling a 'Zen vacation'