Mandatory motor insurance for racers overturned

AS FAR BACK as 2016, Visordown reported how a farm worker getting knocked off a ladder on private land, nearly brought about a worrying situation for racers and trackday users alike. The outcome looked as though it could have forced all vehicles, whether driven on private land or not, to require third party liabilty insurance.

Thankfully common sense has prevailed, as the MCIA and other members of the motorcycle and motorsport business community, have excluded motorcycle and motorsport from the EU’s Motor Insurance Directive (MID - sometimes referred to as Vnuk).

IMCO, the European Parliament committee responsible for MID, has voted by an overwhelming majority of 32 to 2, with one abstention, to exempt various vehicles from the scope of the Motor Insurance Directive.



The proposed judgment threatened motorcycle and motorsport by making road traffic insurance compulsory during off-road use (e.g. on a motor racing circuit). This would require a form of insurance not commercially available and according to the insurance industry, probably unachievable.



The MCIA brought together a coalition of UK groups including the ACU (Auto-Cycle Union) and AMCA (Amateur Motor Cycle Association) and also worked with MIA (Motorsport Industry Association), DfT (Department for Transport) and others, as well as enjoying support from MEPs Vicky Ford, now a UK MP, and Daniel Dalton.



This coalition, working with international motorcycle and motorsport organisations the FIA, FIM and ACEM, successfully lobbied the European Parliament to exempt motorsport from the Motor Insurance Directive.



There are further hurdles to overcome, including gaining the agreement of the EU Council and the inevitable delays caused by the forthcoming EU elections, so, although the final verdict will not be known until later this year, the signs are positive.



Tony Campbell, MCIA CEO, commented: "This is great news and a big relief for motorsport of all types. The potential impact of the proposal would have been catastrophic and likely to result in the end of motorsport as we know it. The MCIA Public Affairs team was the first to recognise the threat and as such was instrumental in achieving this great result. Whilst Brexit may have created an opt-out for UK motorsport, 80% of the UK motorsport economy is derived from export to the EU and therefore there would be no escape for the motorsport business world. The MCIA will continue to follow this through to the final outcome and we would like to thank the ACU and AMCA who have partnered our efforts throughout"