With the kids out of school, many Canadian families are loading up the car and heading out on road trips this summer. However, a new survey from RBC Insurance reveals many may not be prepared for unexpected travel incidents, such as sudden illness or accidents. In fact, only just over half of all Canadians (52%) are fully prepared if their car breaks down.

“While many Canadians spend a large amount of time planning their trips, it’s also important to prepare properly for emergencies,” said Stan Seggie, president and CEO of the travel insurance division of RBC Insurance, in a release.

The survey also found that only 51% of Canadians have an emergency supply kit in their car that includes first aid supplies, blankets or extra clothing and other essential items. Even fewer (43%) report they are fully prepared for medical emergencies.

“This RBC Insurance survey is particularly timely considering a record number of Canadians are planning to take a vacation trip this summer,” said David Redekop, principal research associate of The Conference Board of Canada. “Summer travel plans for 2007 are up 16% from 2006, with nearly seven in ten Canadians planning to take a summer vacation trip. More Canadians are planning to visit the United States this summer to take advantage of the high exchange rate. Plans to visit another province this summer are also strong.”

Preparing financially for an emergency while travelling is not even on the radar for many Canadians, particularly those who travel out of province, but within Canada. Two-thirds (64%) of survey respondents report they have never purchased travel insurance when venturing out of province but still within Canada, despite the fact their health or car insurance policies might not be in full effect when travelling outside their home province. Four-in-ten (37%) say they have never purchased travel insurance while travelling in the United States; one quarter (26%) say they have never purchased travel insurance when travelling outside of Canada or the United States.

Even though 61% of travellers surveyed feel they would be able to pay for needed medical care if something happened to them or their family while on vacation, many Canadians are not aware that provincial government and employee health plans do not cover everything when they leave their province of residence.

In fact, seven in 10 Canadians (72%) believe that the majority of their medical expenses would be covered by a provincial health insurance plan when they travel within Canada and outside their province of residence. However, government health insurance plans may limit reimbursement for expenses such as air ambulance service, prescription drugs and X-rays. Without additional travel insurance, this can get very costly — an air ambulance with a full medical team from New Brunswick to Toronto, for example, can cost $15,000 and is not covered by a government health insurance plan (GHIP).

For those travelling to the United States, a two-day stay in a U.S. hospital for chest discomfort could cost US$10,800, with only US$400 being covered by GHIP. A 13-day U.S. hospital stay for trauma associated with a motor vehicle accident could cost US$113,300, with only US$5,200 covered by GHIP. An appendectomy, which usually involves a two-day stay, could cost US$18,500, with GHIP covering only US$800.

“It’s easy to overlook insurance, especially when travelling to another province or the United States, because there’s a sense of familiarity about destinations within North America,” added Seggie. “Anytime you travel outside your home province – whether it’s to the province next door, across the continent or around the world – you should have insurance to protect yourself and your family.”

These are the findings of an RBC Insurance/Ipsos Reid survey conducted between May 1 and May 20, 2007. The poll was based on a randomly selected sample of 2,000 adult Canadians who were interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within +/-2.19 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled.