All of us know just how important it is to have home insurance, car insurance, travel insurance and of course scooter insurance but how many of us realise that putting on rallies and events (any type of event) now requires insurance of some sort?
Drunken old ladies can litter a campsite and cause a kerfuffle.
There are lots and lots of rallies, parts fairs, ride outs, egg runs and club events in the yearly scootering calendar. Just how many of them have adequate insurance to make sure that the individuals taking part are covered in case something goes wrong? Probably not as many as there should be.
Over the years various lawsuits have been served on rally organisers and even scooter clubs have ended up being taken to court. Not so long ago we reported on one such instance and thankfully the case was dropped. Public liability insurance gives legal cover to an organiser should someone attending their event sustain an injury. It also means that adequate compensation is available, but it isn’t without its hassle. Months, or years of legal wrangling, form filling, letter writing and court cases can be the result of somebody’s drunken tumble.
Accidents can and do happen but give peas a chance.
Most large scooter organisations do carry some form of insurance and if you are a member of such an organisation then it is best to check to see if the event you are hosting can come under that insurance umbrella. As an organiser though you would be required to check and hold a copy of the organisations insurance in the event of an incident occurring. Steve Walker of IHN Insurance Brokers advised “However there may be terms and conditions you may have to adhere to. Please check these carefully.”
Tyre flinging whilst unfit and under the influence can soon lead to casualty.
Fun & games?
However there is also an increase in other types of scootering event, e.g. fun & games on a rally site, gymkhanas, time trials, etc. and these too require some form of insurance even if they are held off road. A gymkhana or grass track event will require not only ACU insurance but also an ACU permit. The ACU (Auto Cycle Union) insurance covers any participant in a sporting event but strict rules have to be adhered to for the insurance to be validated. Permits are granted for events and if individuals wish to regularly participate in road racing, grass tracking, parades, drag, sprints or hill climbs then a valid ACU licence is required as well.
Vintage relic wheeled out for campsite fun, the scooter doesn’t look too good either.
Road events
Following on from off road events it has to be remembered that any motoring event which takes place on a public highway could not only require extra insurance but possibly also authorisation from the MSA (Motor Sports Association). There are many misunderstandings regarding road events using scooters in the UK and even though certain types of rideout do not necessarily require MSA authorisation it is still recommended that the police are notified in advance to ensure that there is minimal inconvenience to the participants and other road users.
Unfortunately most road events do require MSA authorisation, especially if the participants are encouraged to visit the same place or places (other than the start and finish points) or if there are 12 or more taking part in a timed trial or when the event requires participants to reach certain points with the lowest mileage or at specified times. For any authorised event the MSA provide regional Route Liaison Officers who can assist an organiser to minimise disruption and ensure that the Road Traffic Act is enforced.
Custom Lambretta, Twister gets twisted on the LCGB Derby 150.
Fun police
Whilst the onus is generally on the organiser, individuals are reminded that if they are participating in any event, whether riding in an off/on road event or even just attending a rally they should make sure that they have suitable insurance cover.
If an individual makes the decision not to check their cover and it isn’t suitable then they could not only be prosecuted but also find themselves personally liable for any damages in the event of an incident or accident.
Scooter events are meant to be fun. If the organisers have the correct insurance and the proper authorisations, and if the participants have the correct level of cover, then everyone can breathe easier and enjoy the event with their scooters.
Kate
Moments after this photo was taken another scooter rider ended up with a bust collar bone whilst having fun.
Public liability specialist
Having a scooter rider and rally organiser on call when it comes to public liability insurance is invaluable, they understand exactly what it us we all do. You can’t get much better qualified than Steve Walker of the Olympics SC. After all he’s one of the Cleethorpes scooter rally team. He’s also a director at IHN Insurance Brokers and is well worth a call if you’re organising or hosting an event.
For any information or quotations regarding Insurance contact: Steve Walker, IHN Insurance Brokers
Call: 01384 37555 or email: walkers@ihnsure.co.uk
Ingram Hawkins and Nock Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number 308834.
Other specialist insurers are available and a comparison can be found at: Event insurance
Other useful contacts
Hosting any scooter event can be quite a complicated process but if there are any doubts whatsoever on what type and when insurance is required, or if ACU/MSA authorisation needs to be granted then just contact one of the professional bodies below and they should be able give the correct advice.
All of us know just how important it is to have home insurance, car insurance, travel insurance and of course scooter insurance but how many of us realise that putting on rallies and events (any type of event) now requires insurance of some sort?
There are lots and lots of rallies, parts fairs, ride outs, egg runs and club events in the yearly scootering calendar. Just how many of them have adequate insurance to make sure that the individuals taking part are covered in case something goes wrong? Probably not as many as there should be.
Over the years various lawsuits have been served on rally organisers and even scooter clubs have ended up being taken to court. Not so long ago we reported on one such instance and thankfully the case was dropped. Public liability insurance gives legal cover to an organiser should someone attending their event sustain an injury. It also means that adequate compensation is available, but it isn’t without its hassle. Months, or years of legal wrangling, form filling, letter writing and court cases can be the result of somebody’s drunken tumble.
Most large scooter organisations do carry some form of insurance and if you are a member of such an organisation then it is best to check to see if the event you are hosting can come under that insurance umbrella. As an organiser though you would be required to check and hold a copy of the organisations insurance in the event of an incident occurring. Steve Walker of IHN Insurance Brokers advised “However there may be terms and conditions you may have to adhere to. Please check these carefully.”
Fun & games?
However there is also an increase in other types of scootering event, e.g. fun & games on a rally site, gymkhanas, time trials, etc. and these too require some form of insurance even if they are held off road. A gymkhana or grass track event will require not only ACU insurance but also an ACU permit. The ACU (Auto Cycle Union) insurance covers any participant in a sporting event but strict rules have to be adhered to for the insurance to be validated. Permits are granted for events and if individuals wish to regularly participate in road racing, grass tracking, parades, drag, sprints or hill climbs then a valid ACU licence is required as well.
Road events
Following on from off road events it has to be remembered that any motoring event which takes place on a public highway could not only require extra insurance but possibly also authorisation from the MSA (Motor Sports Association). There are many misunderstandings regarding road events using scooters in the UK and even though certain types of rideout do not necessarily require MSA authorisation it is still recommended that the police are notified in advance to ensure that there is minimal inconvenience to the participants and other road users.
Unfortunately most road events do require MSA authorisation, especially if the participants are encouraged to visit the same place or places (other than the start and finish points) or if there are 12 or more taking part in a timed trial or when the event requires participants to reach certain points with the lowest mileage or at specified times. For any authorised event the MSA provide regional Route Liaison Officers who can assist an organiser to minimise disruption and ensure that the Road Traffic Act is enforced.
Fun police
Whilst the onus is generally on the organiser, individuals are reminded that if they are participating in any event, whether riding in an off/on road event or even just attending a rally they should make sure that they have suitable insurance cover.
If an individual makes the decision not to check their cover and it isn’t suitable then they could not only be prosecuted but also find themselves personally liable for any damages in the event of an incident or accident.
Scooter events are meant to be fun. If the organisers have the correct insurance and the proper authorisations, and if the participants have the correct level of cover, then everyone can breathe easier and enjoy the event with their scooters.
Kate
Public liability specialist
Having a scooter rider and rally organiser on call when it comes to public liability insurance is invaluable, they understand exactly what it us we all do. You can’t get much better qualified than Steve Walker of the Olympics SC. After all he’s one of the Cleethorpes scooter rally team. He’s also a director at IHN Insurance Brokers and is well worth a call if you’re organising or hosting an event.
For any information or quotations regarding Insurance contact: Steve Walker, IHN Insurance Brokers
Call: 01384 37555 or email: walkers@ihnsure.co.uk
Ingram Hawkins and Nock Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number 308834.
Other specialist insurers are available and a comparison can be found at: Event insurance
Other useful contacts
Hosting any scooter event can be quite a complicated process but if there are any doubts whatsoever on what type and when insurance is required, or if ACU/MSA authorisation needs to be granted then just contact one of the professional bodies below and they should be able give the correct advice.
Having organised a couple of Scooter events I can attest to the importance of insurance and sticking to the terms and conditions of that insurance.
This often means lengthy paperwork including risk assessments, plan of the site with emergency exits, first aiders with correct first aid kit for the numbers attending and site rules, etc etc etc. All very tedious ‘elf an safety hi viz jacket bollocks!
I was personally insulted by fellow scooterists ignorant of the requirements placed on our club by the insurer. Yet, when I offered to step down and let others plan the event there were no volunteers forthcoming.
I am aware of a bike club that was successfully sued for a serious injury that occured during their event, despite being at a 3rd party venue. The solicitors came after the named club secretary for damages! Frightening!
Because the secretary had dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s he did not have to sell his house to pay the damages as he was covered by the club’s insurers. Whew!
Moral of the story is, if you are organising an event, beware of possible liability, do your homework and the ‘elf and safety bollocks. Get insured properly as a club.
Don’t give the hi viz vest types a hard time at events, follow site rules…shake their hands and buy them a beer
(for when they are off duty mind!) and just accept this is how things are in our litigious world of ambulance chasing lawyers. Bah! ;-(