Considering that the Positivus Festival, which is the biggest arts and music even in the Baltic States, will take place at Salacgrīvas during the upcoming weekend, the BTA Baltic Insurance Company (henceforth referred to as BTA) has identified the TOP 3 safety precautions to be taken in order to avoid unwanted issues during the event. The experience gained during previous years shows that festival visitors, including those of Positivus, are exposed to the following risks: incidents caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, physical injuries, and minor road traffic accidents. In order to protect yourself and those enjoying their holiday near you from any unwanted events, BTA points out that the TOP 3 safety precautions to be taken by every visitor are responsible consumption of alcohol, safe driving, and proper storage of personal belongings.

Every year, the Positivus Festival gathers more than 20 thousand people, and the visitors pretty often encounter various troubles and unwanted events. Accidents result in vehicle damage, personal injuries, and also los or theft of personal belongings. When travelling to the event venue, drivers frequently disrespect the traffic regulations just because they do not want to be late for the performance of their favourite artist. They exceed the speed limit, overtake inconsiderately, or drive around vehicles standing in a traffic jam. Doing so has resulted in minor road traffic accidents in the previous years. Some of the most unpleasant accidents the visitors often encounter at the event venue every year include loss or theft of their personal belongings, such as mobile phones, wallets, bags, and other valuables. Mattress pumps and footwear are often “borrowed” with no intent to return in the tent areas. Events encountered in the tent areas also include theft or loss of cosmetic purses with expensive cosmetic product, vehicle keys, various clothing items, etc.

However, visitors most frequently suffer from excessive consumption of alcohol, which results in personal injuries or aggressive conflicts with other visitors. Every year, representatives of the State Police issue dozens of administrative violation reports for hooliganism, aggressive behaviour during a festival, or other incidents. The publicly available information shows that the State Police registered 53 violations during the Positivus Festival last year. Most of the incidents involved excessive consumption of strong alcohol and illegal turnover of drugs and psychotropic substances. In several cases, the police had to intervene to handle aggressive conflicts between intoxicated event visitors.

Being alcohol-intoxicated, visitors often go swimming. The weather service currently forecast rain and variable weather conditions for the upcoming weekend. At Salacgrīva, the air temperature during the day will reach +17°C to +20°C and drop to as low as +10°C at night. The weather is also expected to be windy, with gusts of up to even 17 metres per second. Regardless of the fact that hot weather is not expected during Positivus, the festival visitors should take caution when going swimming and avoid doing in case they have had alcohol, as water-related accidents frequently are caused specifically by alcohol consumption.

A general overview of the experience from the past shows that, in order to protect yourself and those enjoying their time near you from unwanted issues during the Positivus Festival, BTA experts point out that the TOP 3 safety precautions to be taken by every visitor are responsible use of alcohol, safe driving, and proper storage of personal belongings.

Iveta Rijniece, Insurance Indemnities Director of BTA Baltic Insurance Company: “Wherever we go for our holiday or to spend our free time, own safety and that of others should always be kept in mind. The safety of personal belongings is also important. Speaking about events with large numbers of visitors, such as festivals, our experience shows that what frequently spoils the high spirits of the event visitors is some silly incidents which the visitors themselves are responsible for. Namely, people most often leave their valuables well visible in their vehicles, and they become easy pray for thieves. Visitors often drink too much alcohol, suffer injuries in various accidents or fail to take proper care of the safety of their vehicles. Looking at the insurance indemnity applications we have received in the past, it should be emphasised that the injuries suffered in aggressive conflicts during festivals include broken teeth, nose, and face bones. We have also received insurance indemnity applications for vehicle bonnet or windscreen damage suffered in the “heat of the fight”. It is the festival high season in Latvia at the moment, and we therefore remind all visitors to think carefully about their own safety, that of their loved ones and friends, and also about the safety of their personal belongings, so that art and music can be enjoyed without any unwanted incidents or unpleasant memories!”

As Positivus is drawing nearer, BTA has identified several additional precautions to be taken by every visitor, so that the festival runs calmly and without unwanted incidents:

• You may be late for the performance of your favourite artist due to a traffic jam. Therefore, before leaving fot the festival venue, please do take time to calculate your travel times carefully, consider any possible congestions, and road repairs!
• Definitely do not forget about the safety of your home when leaving for any festival! Before leaving for Salacgrīva, please do make sure you leave your home with its windows safely shut and the doors locked, and also any electric appliances switched off.
• Considering that the weather conditions might be rather variable during the upcoming weekend, with bits of everything between sunshine, rain and winds, please do make sure you have proper clothing with you! Please take clothing which is suitable for sunny and warm and also for chilly, moist and rainy weather. Do not forget about your raincoat and rubber boots!
• This weekend is expected to come not only with rain and winds, but also with sunshine, and every festival visitor should therefore have a sunscreen, a cap, and their sunglasses with them!
• An indisputably useful item to bring with you for any large-scale event is a medical kit with the first aid items, such as plasters, wound bandages, a wound disinfection product, an anti-insect product, etc.
• If you go to a festival in your personal vehicle, do make sure you park it in a guarded visitor parking area. See that the vehicle is not parked under trees or large-size structures which might break during any string winds and cause vehicle damage!
• There are thieves everywhere! Please do watch your personal belongings. Do not leave them unattended in the tent area or in a visible place in your vehicle, and also do beware of pick-pockets throughout the concerts as well!
• Please pay attention to the quality of any food products, as, regardless of the stated Best before date, food goes bad in hot weather very quickly.
• Avoid excessive use of alcohol, as this is the most frequent cause of all kinds of accidents!
• Do not drive any vehicle, including a bicycle, while alcohol-intoxicated!
• Do not go swimming while alcohol-intoxicated or at night!
• Avoid conflicts with other festival visitors!
• Protect yourself, your friends, and those around you!

BTA wishes you safe enjoyment of your time during the largest Baltic festival, Positivus, or any other summer festival you might go to this summer. We do want you to spend all the festival days successfully, and take care of yourself and any other people enjoying their holiday with you!

About the Company
The insurance company BTA was founded in 1993, under its initial name JSC Baltijas Transporta apdrošināšana (Baltic Transport Insurance). During its initial operation in the sector of sea and air freight insurance, BTA soon proved itself as a universal insurance company which is able to offer the widest range of insurance services to its clients. Since year 2002, which is when BTA acquired the Lithuanian insurance company BTA Draudimas, BTA has been conducted targeted business also in other countries, such as Estonia, Germany, Spain, Poland, France, Italy, the United Kingdom. Initially, its fundamental principle of operation was Freedom of Services (FOS), whereas affiliates were established later on.
To enjoy the benefits offered by the European Union and facilitate business abroad, BTA became a European business in February 2011 and acquired its new name BTA Insurance Company SE.
BTA is the only Latvian insurance company which exports financial services and operates not only in the Baltic States. The international growth of BTA is proven by the TOP 500 of Central European Companies issued by the international auditor company Deloitte for year 2013, where BTA ranks 50th among the largest insurance companies in Central Europe.
To facilitate more dynamic development of its business in Europe and structure its administrative resources and processes in line with the strategic lines of its business operations, the insurance company BTA Insurance Company SE launched a reorganisation plan in October 2014 to divide the company according to the geographical distribution of its business operations: Baltics and rest of Europe. As part of the resorganisation, the BTA subsidiary, Joint-stock Insurance Company BTA Baltic Insurance Company was founded on 27 October 2014.
The reorganisation of the company was successfully completed upon the receipt of the decision issued by the Finance and Capital Market Committee on 29 June 2015, under which the Baltic States insurance portfolio can be transferred to the subsidiary Joint-stock Insurance Company BTA Baltic Insurance Company founded by the insurance company BTA Insurance Company” SE, and the receipt of the decision from the Register of Enterprises on 1 July this year. While proceeding with its previous service portfolio, insurance services in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will, starting from 1 July this year, be provided by Joint-stock Insurance Company BTA Baltic Insurance Company, whereas BTA Insurance Company SE will continue its market expansion in other European states.

Additional information:
Linda Upeniece
Director, Marketing and Public Relations
Insurance Joint-stock Company BTA Baltic Insurance Company
e-mail: linda.upeniece@bta.lv
Phone: 67025676, cellular: 26756841