In an unusual twist for the car insurance industry, it looks as if owners of ride-on lawn mowers may be forced to seek cover for their garden-bound vehicles, according to the Daily Mail.
This is as a result of an EU directive that is looking to extend the requirement to secure insurance beyond cars, motorbikes and other road-going vehicles to mowers which are driven with the user sitting on top and steering.
Cost Criticisms
Critics have complained that this insurance necessity will be enforced even if the mower is never even taken on to public roads. And there has been further upset at the suggestion that the minimum amount owners can expect to pay for cover will be £100 a year.
Of course, it is worth pointing out that cover for ride-on lawn mowers of this kind is already integrated into a wide variety of home insurance policies. So in a way people are paying for the privilege of being able to use one on their property already.
Origins and Impact
The ruling has come about because of an incident in Slovenia involving a ride-on mower, which could ultimately have ramifications for the whole of Europe.
People may now start looking for affordable policies for their mowers through sites such as Budget Insurance, especially if they want to keep on the right side of any legislative changes which may be brought into effect.
Specialist insurance packages will no doubt need to be created if this goes through. Companies will have to assess the risks associated with mower usage and presumably adapt existing car insurance policies to fit this type of vehicle.
Government spokesperson Tim Price said that politicians in the UK would be fighting to prevent the rules being put into practice, so it will be interesting to see how much resistance comes from other countries.
