The streets are full of bikes and dangers. The increase dictated by Covid has not made the situation less dangerous, with drivers exasperated and increasingly distractedThen there are the cyclists who ride in groups when they shouldn't and all the rest, but at the end of the day, they get hurt and the others don't. The news stories keep coming. And if nothing is moving on the legislative level (it is truly disheartening to realise the lack of interest for vulnerable road users), it is a pleasure to report the initiative of Acsi e ZerosbattiThe first is an organization with approximately 52 members among amateurs, chaired by the cycling section of the organization by lawyer Emiliano Borgna. The second is the association created by lawyer Federico Balconi, which offers immediate assistance and legal protection to its members in the event of an accident. The two have decided to join forces, thus From 2022, all Acsi members will be offered the Zerosbatti membership card by the association itself., without any increase in membership costs.
Objective: concreteness
We have spoken often with Emiliano Borgna. It was his proposal, which has so far been rejected, of a collaboration with the Federation Italian cycling for combine the Gran Fondo with youth category races, taking advantage of the logistics of the arrival areasThe agreement with Zerosbatti really tastes great.
«It's an interesting and concrete idea – he explains – because We often talk about safety, we think of a thousand things, from a meter and a half to others perhaps, but then for a thousand different reasons not much is achieved. So we thought at least to offer a accident service, advice and legal support, because when they knock you down, you don't always know how to move or what to do. So we met with Federico Balconi, we started talking, and the agreement was spontaneous."
Training activities
Zerosbatti has collected over the months the favor of some prominent professionals, including Nibali, and this could serve to encourage amateurs not to underestimate the opportunity.
«The underlying idea – continues Borgna – is also that of organize training activities and round tables to address various issues related to security. Therefore, in the 2022 membership card, our members will also find legal protection and I think they will also be happy about it on an economic level, given that joining Zerosbatti would still cost 15 eurosAt the Italian Bike Festival in Rimini we all saw the huge numbers achieved by e-bikes and the bikes that will be used by road users who are not very familiar with the system. For this initiative, I am thinking of our amateurs, but also of themWith a card that gives them insurance, they also find legal protection."
Pay the whole ACSI
Who pays the 15 euros for 52 thousand members, if it's true that they won't get any increase in their membership? Is this? the first question we knock on Federico Balconi's door with, creator and driving force of Zerosbatti with the external and far-sighted support of Johnny Carera.
"I've known Borgna for years," he says, "and a couple of years ago we started thinking about doing something together. I talked to our insurance company, We have obtained a special price and all costs will be covered by Acsi, which has given up something to take on this important commitment.Of course, such a large number of members will require us to organize ourselves. We're holding interview after interview; there aren't enough lawyers. We also need people capable of empathy and who are capable, at the first contact, which usually happens in the event of an accident, to explain to the confused cyclist what to do. Initially, the support is primarily moral, then we move on to taking photos and legal protection.
A broad base
These are large numbers, which could explode even further if more membership cards were added through word of mouth.
"We're seeing firsthand from the initial findings," Balconi continued, "how urgent this need was. While in the event of an accident, the individual writes to the insurance company and exposes themselves to the experts' assessment, Our members write to us. We are the first filter, we guide them through their requests.Having an accident isn't like winning the lottery, so if you don't get hurt, you can hope to get a new model of the wrecked bike for free. The tricks are what make liquidators less available. An out-of-court solution is sought, I have been working in the insurance industry for 25 years and I think that with logic, common sense and the law you can achieve good results quickly.If we're only talking about material damage, the case is closed in two months. But we need to be honest and transparent.
«And if we have to go to court, Legal protection insurance allows you to go without too many worries and without having to pay legal costs in advanceAnd even if the time is extended, the coverage keeps you safe. Emiliano is a lawyer. And even if he doesn't practice law for this position, he had an important legal visionAnd who says that one day, with the strength of so many thousands of members, we can't go to the legislator and ask for reforms? The principle of the referendum is precisely this..."
