Riding a motor scooter can seem like an easy task, but riding such a vehicle on difficult or unfamiliar terrain could prove to be risky. Many tourists rent motor scooters when they are out sightseeing because it gives them the independence to go wherever they want without having to depend on costly car rentals.

Motor scooters are ridden frequently in various parts of Southeast Asia and other island countries around the world. Depending on factors like where the tourist is traveling, how accustomed they are to riding a bike, and familiarity with the traffic regulations of a foreign country, the simple act of riding a motor scooter can sometimes prove to be dangerous. This is why you should purchase travel insurance for motor scooters to keep yourself covered in case of any unexpected accidents or injuries.

Travel Insurance for Motor Scooter Riding

While traveling outside your country, especially in regions of Southeast Asia, make sure you have travel insurance that covers motor scooters.

Some travel insurance plans will cover injuries sustained in accidents while operating larger vehicles like cars, trucks, or even boats, but not motor scooters or mopeds. Hence, be extra sure to read your plan’s certificate wording before purchasing. If it doesn’t cover motor scooters, make sure to buy an add-on plan that does.

Be sure to operate the vehicle safely and responsibly. Do not engage in local motor scooter racing activities if you are not sure of your biking skills (or, preferably, at all).

Medical expenses in a foreign land could be expensive, and even more so if the accident takes place in a remote location. Medical evacuation would make your treatment a lot more difficult and expensive. Motor scooter travel insurance will safeguard you in such cases.

Check your travel itinerary beforehand, and be as knowledgeable as possible about the various modes of transport you might have at your disposal when visiting a foreign country. If you are sure you would like to rent a motor scooter for in-country travel or local sightseeing, then buy motor scooter travel insurance beforehand.

Motor Scooter Basics

Motor scooters are light vehicles, making it both easy and risky to ride them. They can be maneuvered easily in heavy traffic, but their size makes them a bigger risk of getting hit by other vehicles.

Motor scooters meant for tourists are often secondhand vehicles. They are often ridden for miles by various kinds of tourists with varying degrees of driving experience, and you cannot rely on them to be properly maintained.

Some tourists also like to participate in local motor scooter racing sports. These sports involve racing with the locals across tricky terrains. Please be aware that adventure sports travel insurance does not cover injuries sustained during any kind of competition or racing.

Motor scooters are light and cheap, and they give the tourists the independence to move freely across various regions of a new country. There are places where entry of cars is prohibited, so the only mode of transport is cycles, bikes, and motor scooters.

Before renting a motor scooter, make sure that it is properly maintained and that the tour operator provides you with the vehicle’s proper documentation.

Risks of Riding Motor Scooters

Although motor scooters are not very difficult to ride, the activity involves risks.

A freak accident can happen anytime, and if you are new at driving a scooter, you might find it difficult to keep it under control and could easily lose your balance.

Motor scooters can go up to considerable speeds, and depending on the terrain, abiding by the posted speed restrictions is important.

Injuries resulting from a motor scooter accident could include:

• Head injury due to failure to wear helmets or helmets coming off during impact
• Physical injuries like cuts, bruises, or broken bones
• Lung injury or blood pressure spikes resulting from impact
• Paralysis or loss of limbs in extreme cases of accidental injury

DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.