Accidents Keep Happening — So Why Don’t We Buy Insurance? Four Mindsets Explained

After the Asiana crash faded, travel insurance was forgotten again. With so much accident news, why won’t people buy? Two traveller excuses plus two odd phenomena insurers observe add up to the answer.

Travellers’ two excuses

Two odd phenomena insurers see

Oddity one: rescue over claims. Many outbound travellers prefer overseas rescue cover and barely glance at death/injury benefits. Insiders say both matter: rescue covers the moment, claims cover the aftermath.

Oddity two: nobody checks if the policy is real. 2013 saw multiple fake flight-accident policies never entered into insurers’ systems — zero payout on disaster. Travellers’ surprising trust in insurers partly shows how little they care about travel cover.

The takeaway

People don’t skip insurance because they don’t need it — it’s ignorance + wishful thinking + assuming someone else covers them. Before your next trip, ask three questions: does the agency’s policy cover me personally? Is my policy genuine? Is the sum insured enough for hospital bills? If you can’t answer, it’s time to buy properly.