European Parliament grants Motor Insurance Directive exemption for motorsport

The forthcoming Motor Insurance Directive posed a very real threat to motorsport and off-roading in Europe. Fortunately, an exemption has been agreed

motor insurance directive motorsport

Behind the scenes, there has been a very real threat to motorsport and off-roading in Europe. Luckily, the forthcoming Motor Insurance Directive will not, as suggested, kill both activities stone-dead.

The Motor Insurance Directive was a proposal to make road traffic insurance compulsory for the off-road driving or riding of a motorised vehicle. This would have necessitated insurance for racing vehicles of all varieties.

Such policies, so said insurers, simply wouldn’t be possible. The result would have been the end of motorsport within Europe.

Fortunately, an exemption has just been cleared by the European Parliament.

motor insurance directive motorsport

A coalition of motorsport and motoring groups, including the ACU (Auto-Cycle Union) and MIA (Motorsport Industry Asociation) lobbied the EU parliament for the exemption. Barring a few political hurdles, such as the agreement of the EU council, it should be ratified later this year.

“This is great news and a big relief for motorsport of all types,” Tony Campbell, CEO of the MIA. “The potential impact of the proposal would have been catastrophic and likely to result in the end of motorsport as we know it.”

Read more:

Related Articles

Ethan Jupp
Ethan Jupp
I'm Content Editor at MR. Road trips music and movies are my vices. Perennially stuck between French hot hatches and Australian muscle cars.

1 COMMENT

  1. Not just racing cars or motorbikes but all off-road motorised vehicles therefore now come within the scope of the Directive. Mobility scooters and ride on lawn mowers included. And the compulsory third party insurance required is against both damage to property and personal injuries.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Find a Car Review

Latest

Renault Rafale hybrid SUV spawns a 300hp Alpine version

Fresh styling and bespoke suspension tuning mark out Alpine-badged versions of the Renault Rafale E-Tech plug-in hybrid.

Half of motorists admit to using washing-up liquid to clean their car

Using household products to clean cars could cause long-term damage to paintwork, potentially costing thousands to repair.

New Morgan Midsummer is a coachbuilt project with Pininfarina

Designed in collaboration with Pininfarina, the new Morgan Midsummer will be limited to 50 cars – each one hand-built and unique.

New 782hp Continental GT is the most powerful Bentley ever

The 2024 Bentley Continental GT uses plug-in hybrid tech to offer an electric-only range of 50 miles. Here is what we know so far.