Insurance for ride-on mowers?

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 15:50
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - galileo

As reported today by the Telegraph, an EU ruling which is a classic piece of unrealistic and costly bureaucracy.

preview.tinyurl.com/tushs46

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 16:40
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Bromptonaut

As reported today by the Telegraph, an EU ruling which is a classic piece of unrealistic and costly bureaucracy.

preview.tinyurl.com/tushs46

I cannot read the article as I won't subscribe to the Telegraph. However a bit of googling explains the background to this and it's really not daft at all. Neither is it new.

The issue arises following an incident where a walker, Mr Michael Lewis, was hit on private land by an uninsured Nissan Terrano. Mr Lewis's injuries were life changing to the extent that he had to conduct the ensuing litigation by his 'Litigation Friend'; his injuries, including those to his head, were so serious he lacked the capacity to commence proceedings himself.

The case for Mr Lewis was that long standing EU rules applied, that compulsory insurance should apply and that the Motor Insurers Bureau should take the hit for the uninsured driver. The UK Courts found, the case going to the Court of Appeal, that the EU directive applied and the Terrano should have been insured. The Supreme Court has recently refused the MIB further appeal. It therefore follows that if ride on mowers and such like require insurance in a public place the same applies on private land.

Rationally that makes perfect sense - if your child was critically injured by a ride on mower or golf buggy while playing on private land you'd expect there to be the means to pay compensation wouldn't you?

Edited by Bromptonaut on 23/02/2020 at 16:41

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 16:50
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - thunderbird

I guess it all comes down to where the mowers are being used.

Many years ago it was perfectly normal to learn to drive in car parks before your 17th since they were not considered to be part of the highway. As I understand it now any land that the public has access to is considered part of the highway making the age old practice illegal.

The same would apply to a grass verge in front of your property. If its an area that the public can access then you would need insurance whereas the land behind your wall/gates that only "invited" persons can access is still private and surely requires no insurance.

But if the owner of the mower allows others to use it he would be totally stupid not to take out some insurance.

It all seems pretty logical to me.

How much could lawn mower insurance cost anyway, not a turbo nutter speed machine are they.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 16:54
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Manatee

Makes no sense at all.

It's garden machinery, not a car. What about hedge trimmers, chain saws, etc?

It doesn't mean liability doesn't exist. Or even that the user isn't insured. If you have house insurance (and not everybody does) chance is it includes some public liability cover. If you don't have that or any other insurance then you can still be liable if you have been negligent.

There are lots of circumstances in which people can be negligent, cause great loss and legally be uninsured. Most cyclists probably aren't specifically insured for using their bike.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 17:28
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Bromptonaut

Makes no sense at all.

It's garden machinery, not a car. What about hedge trimmers, chain saws, etc?

Surely there is a point at which a self propelled wheeled machine acquires the characteristics of a motor vehicle. Perhaps not the sort of ride on mower our fathers or grandfathers might have had with a bike saddle over a roller but others are more like mini tractors. Same with a golf buggy.

It wouldn't be beyond the wit of the legal draftsman to amend the compulsory motor insurance so as to address the issue in Lewis without it applying to smaller mowers.

My main point to be honest was that it was our own domestic interpretation that is in play here not Brussels coming for our lawnmowers. The Telegraph of course has previous for that; it's where BoJo made his name.

This cyclist is specifically insured via membership of Cycling UK as will many others via that organisation or some other club or society.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 23/02/2020 at 17:30

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 17:39
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - daveyjp

Looking into the facts this case has been going on for many years. Our own Government had a consultation in 2016, closing in 2017 which still hasn't reached a conclusion, possibly waiting for the ECJ case.

Its just a continuation of law development. An issue has arisen which has found gaps in a number of laws and clarification is now required. Its how law has worked for centuries.

There was a similar local case where someone off his face killed a child while driving a vehicle on a farm. Drink driving laws didn't apply so IIRC all he could be prosecuted for was breach of H&S laws.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 17:52
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - JoeB

MORE bonkers EU legislation! We are out. Why do we even take any notice of this nonsense?Let's hope Boris and Dominic tell the EU judges and their fellow-travellers where to stuff their regulations!

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 17:54
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Bromptonaut

MORE bonkers EU legislation! We are out. Why do we even take any notice of this nonsense?Let's hope Boris and Dominic tell the EU judges and their fellow-travellers where to stuff their regulations!

As I've already pointed it it's OUR judges interpreting this stuff.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 17:57
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - JoeB

As I've already pointed it it's OUR judges interpreting this stuff.

Its an EU ruling - as per the Telegraph article. You seem to be an apologist for the EU.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 19:40
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - daveyjp

Makes no odds if its an EU ruling.

The gap has been found in UK legislation as it is currently drafted so there will still have to be changes, which is why a consultation has taken place.

Whether we are in EU or not law changes will still happen when anomalies are found.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 20:56
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - focussed

The mower insurance over here in France is covered by most house insurance up to 20 HP ride-on mowers.

The reason given for having to insure any non-road-registered vehicle capable of carrying a person(s) is if the vehicle were stolen and caused an accident it is insured.

Continuing from that rather strange state of affairs to UK ears, all road registered vehicles have to be insured 24/7/365, and it's the vehicle that is insured, not the driver.

Hence the little green ticket on the windscreen proving insurance cover.

(Or at least, proving you made the first payment! There are a lot of uninsured vehicles on french roads despite all the rules and laws!)

We even have a little green ticket to stick on our trailer as it's over 500 kg capacity and has to be road registered and insured!

So, in theory, if the vehicle is stolen and causes damage injury or loss of life it is insured. Even if the thief does not have a licence, and/or is banned, drugged, drunk etc, the insurance is still valid and has to pay up.

Edited by focussed on 23/02/2020 at 21:01

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 10:42
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Steveieb

Raises the question of Mobility Scooters which i often see on the main roads around here. Sometimes fully covered in to protect against the weather.

Whats the situation if a motorist has a collision with one ?

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 11:09
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - focussed

I have no idea of the situation with those in France - we very rarely ever see them over here.

I would expect they have to to be insured knowing the french attitude to public liability.

Even your schoolkids have to be insured here!

https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/insurance/school-insurance-in-france/

Edited by focussed on 24/02/2020 at 11:11

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 13:20
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - thunderbird

It's garden machinery, not a car. What about hedge trimmers, chain saws, etc?

The thread is about ride on mowers and not general garden machinery. When was the last time you saw a ride on hedge trimmer or chain saw in the neighbours garden?. Thinking about it farmers use flail hedge cutters attached to tractors and forestry workers use tractors with tree cutting chainsaws, but these are for professionals and I bet both are insured.

Raises the question of Mobility Scooters which i often see on the main roads around here. Sometimes fully covered in to protect against the weather.

Whats the situation if a motorist has a collision with one ?

These b***** things are a total menace in the hands of some folk, had one drive strait at me last week. There was an 80+ year old killed near us some years ago crossing a main road in front of a car, witnesses all confirmed the driver had no way of avoiding a collision but that did not help her relatives and with no insurance on the thing (probably) it would be the drive footing possible increased premiums through no fault of his own. Add to that just imaging the trauma he must have suffered after killing the lady.

This clip was filmed about 100 yards from the fatal accident www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk1FuVn7t18

Never seen a ride on mower doing that.

Edited by thunderbird on 24/02/2020 at 13:41

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 20:54
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - alan1302

These b***** things are a total menace in the hands of some folk,

Never seen a ride on mower doing that.

So they same as all other vehicles

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 13:15
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - alan1302

Raises the question of Mobility Scooters which i often see on the main roads around here. Sometimes fully covered in to protect against the weather.

Whats the situation if a motorist has a collision with one ?

I expect it's the same as if you were to have a collison with a cyclist.

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 23:21
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Avant

"Rationally that makes perfect sense - if your child was critically injured by a ride on mower or golf buggy while playing on private land you'd expect there to be the means to pay compensation wouldn't you?"

That is surely the point - thank you Bromptonaut. Our grandchildren all lov haveing rides on our ride-on mower, sitting on my lap with me holding on tight. That's safe enough, but when they get older they will want to mow the grass themselves - and it's on a slope. I need to check our house and contents insurance.

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Tue 25 Feb 2020 09:44
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - thunderbird

These b***** things are a total menace in the hands of some folk,

Never seen a ride on mower doing that.

So they same as all other vehicles

Difference is the simple fact they legally regularly ride on pavements, cars don't.

And don't start me about cycles being ridden on pavements.

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Tue 25 Feb 2020 11:15
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - Bromptonaut

And don't start me about cycles being ridden on pavements.

Whilst I will explain/mitigate for some cyclist misbehaviours pavement riding is not one of them. I am also at a loss as to how using the pavement becomes OK just because those white on blue 'shared use' signs have appeared.

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Tue 25 Feb 2020 16:25
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - thunderbird

And don't start me about cycles being ridden on pavements.

Whilst I will explain/mitigate for some cyclist misbehaviours pavement riding is not one of them. I am also at a loss as to how using the pavement becomes OK just because those white on blue 'shared use' signs have appeared.

We have pavements round these parts that have a clear white line that delineates pedestrians from cycles. I do not have an issue with those providing they are used correctly, some even ring their bell to alert you.

But the cycling terrorists that use the pavements as their private speed tracks I do have an issue with.

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Tue 25 Feb 2020 13:29
Insurance for ride-on mowers? - alan1302

These b***** things are a total menace in the hands of some folk,

Never seen a ride on mower doing that.

So they same as all other vehicles

Difference is the simple fact they legally regularly ride on pavements, cars don't.

And don't start me about cycles being ridden on pavements.

You said they were a menace in the hands of some people...I said just like other vehicles...nothing to so with being able to go on the pavement.

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