EU must ditch 'unfair' rules that means you will need car insurance for personal mobility scooters, golf buggies and even LAWNMOWERS
BRITS could soon be forced to take out auto insurance for golf buggies and lawnmowers under crazy new European laws.
UK those who own private, off-road motors would have to spend thousands on extra policies and compensation claims despite voting to depart the EU.
The car insurance industry has urged the European Commission to do something fast to prevent the "unfair" and "unnecessary" new measures coming in.
The UK would need to make costly changes to rules, which would hike premiums and potentially create a new crash-for-cash culture, simply to ditch the laws after Brexit in 2021.
The laws go as far back to some 2021 European Court of Justice ruling where Slovenian worker, Damijan Vnuk, was injured with a tractor on private land.
The court decided the payout should be covered by compulsory car insurance policy prompting all vehicles to require policies.
That includes personal mobility scooters, golf buggies, lawnmowers, quad bikes on private land – and even motorsport competitors.
Motorsport races could even have to be cancelled as premiums for drivers at these would be through the roof. Currently they're covered by separate event insurance.
The European Commission happens to be reviewing how you can implement the alterations into EU law.
But UK insurers said had the accident happened in the UK, it would happen to be covered through employers' insurance or public insurance.
Ben Howarth, senior policy adviser for motor and liability at the Association of British Insurers, said: "We recognise victims of accidents on private land ought to be entitled to compensation, but making insurance compulsory for off-road vehicle users is unnecessary, unworkable and unfair.
"There isn't any evidence that this extension is required in the united kingdom.
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"Also it could prove the next lucrative hunting ground for claims management companies, encouraging claims that become taken care of by all motorists through higher premiums.
"The ecu Commission can certainly resolve this, by implementing its very own proposal to merely specify the Car insurance policy Directive only pertains to vehicles in traffic.
"It needs to end the uncertainty using this method now."
An EU Commission official said: "The Commission has launched try to collect thoughts about the way the rules governing this area function.
"A public consultation happens to be gathering feedback on the scope from the rules and specifically whether protection provided underneath the Motor Insurance Directive will include liability for accidents both on public roads and property.
"The consultation is open until 20 October 2021.
"We welcome the feedback of stakeholders, but as the consultation is ongoing we can't discuss individual stakeholders' views or on our future course of action."