My favorite form of exercise is running. Naturally, I always try to convince my children to join me. This weekend we ran outside, because the weather was gorgeous! On a normal run outside, we typically see other runners, walkers and lots of barking dogs! This weekend, we encountered a man on an electric bike. My son pointed out how cool the bike was as I watched the driver swerve all over the road in an attempt to show his skill in operating the bike.

Have you seen them around Quincy?  Do you have one? Are you thinking about buying one?

What if an accident occurred while riding one of these bikes? Are you insured for physical damage caused to the bike itself or for damages/injuries caused to other parties? There are some companies that will add bicycle to a personal articles policy to cover damage to the bike itself. However, a normal homeowners policy does not typically protect you for motorized vehicles that you are using on a public street. This means, that if you were to hit someone’s car, you may not have coverage for the damage you caused. Or, if you were to hit a pedestrian and cause them injuries, you probably wouldn’t have coverage under your homeowners policy for their medical bills.

Would you have cash on hand to pay for these types of things? Damage to a car bumper could cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket. An ER visit due to injuries you caused someone while riding an electric bike could be another couple thousand dollars.

It’s a good idea to check with your insurance agent to be sure your electric bike is properly covered!