If you want to travel abroad and take a gamble that you will be careful and nothing untoward will happen whilst away, of course, that is entirely up to you. However, you must remember that the majority of accidents that occur abroad may not necessarily be through the fault of the person in the first place.
And to travel abroad without any sufficient form of travel insurance really is a massive gamble. For a start, you need to consider the fact that the free NHS health service does not exist in any other country: you will be obliged to pay for any healthcare that is necessary and this can set you back many thousands of pounds.
Other things need to be considered here too: what happens if your holiday is cancelled or delayed for many hours? Surely it would help to take some of the sting out of such an unfortunate occasion if you receive some form of financial remuneration.
Moreover, what about if legal action is pursued against you that you had no idea was even unlawful? Trust me, this can and does happen to many British tourists every year and the British Embassies and Consulates are notoriously useless at providing them with any help and assistance. This is where insurance could help you out significantly.
Obviously, though, all insurance policies vary considerably. It is always important to check through every single criterion that is covered through a specific policy. The best insurance policies may cost a little extra, but then, they will cover everything that is important for your holiday, and most eventualities.