Quick recap – you can see my original blog post here – A European Court decision known as the “Vnuk judgment” makes it compulsory for anyone using motorised transport to have third party damage and injury insurance.
The Government has now issued a document for public consultation, which includes the option of implementing the CJEU decision known as the ‘Vnuk judgment’. This decision means that compulsory motor insurance has to cover any accident caused by the use of a vehicle that is “consistent with the normal function” of that vehicle and therefore, since race cars are performing their normal function, that includes racing. This will affect all participants in all forms of motorsport.
Previously the Government has been left in no doubt that that third party risks for motorsport activities are uninsurable, not least because of the sheer number of potential vehicle damage claims that would arise. Therefore, if implemented, the Vnuk judgment would wipe out all legal motor and motorcycle sport activity.
In the UK, the motorsport industry employs over 50,000 people, generates a total of £11 billion of sales each year and is backed up by a world-leading high performance engineering industry. Our MIA is feted throughout the world as it showcases the UK’s best motorsport engineering solutions. Can you imagine an F1 calendar with no British GP and probably all the British based teams upping sticks and heading out of the EU?
Our friends in the two wheeled racing side of the business tell us that “Motorcycle competition is a popular UK Sport and generates much needed income in rural areas, with over 1.9 million spectators watching around 58,000 riders attend an average of over 4000 off-road and track events each year. These range from junior motocross to the British Superbikes, which would all end without the required insurance under the ECJ ruling.” They too will pay a terrible price if this ruling is enacted.
The consultation document makes it clear that although we are on the BREXIT path, there could be a temporary implementation of the ruling as we are still EU members. I cannot think of anything more ridiculous – kill off our world beating motorsport events, cripple our world beating motorsport engineering businesses and then when we wave the EU goodbye, pretend we can dust down the old kit and go racing again, or polish up our latest (5+ years old because we couldn’t test them in the UK) widget and try and sell it on the world market – what crass stupidity.
I am not normally a political person but on this occasion I MUST IMPLORE you to write to your MP, WRITE to The MSA, GO TO AUTOSPORT and harangue the legal bods on the MSA stand – run naked through the streets with only an MSA race licence to preserve your decency (steady on….Ed) – whatever you do you must make it clear that there must be an exemption for the British racing industry – cars, bikes, lawnmowers (do they race lawnmowers? Ed), quads, in fact anything vehicular!
PS – if I haven’t rattled your cage enough about this, the ruling also brings SORN vehicles into its net – that restoration project is in the EU crosshairs.
With thanks to the MCIA
Notes
The original judgement arises from Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav C-162/13.
Sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/the-rt-hon-chris-grayling-fight-vnuk-the-eu-judgement-threatening-to-kill-uk-motorsport
Roger Grimshaw – NMA Tutor
