EU trying to impose insurance for E-Bikes

Chris.

Pedelecer
Apr 11, 2018
79
24
45
UK
If this were to be implemented it would kill pedelecs stone dead in this country.
However, I don't think it will be. I think the number of people who 'wouldn't bother' to get cover would be huge. Who's going to check and how?
There is probably a case for ALL road users to carry third party insurance but, again, how could this be administered? Perhaps every person on the electoral roll/census should be required, by law, to carry insurance:eek: because we all use the pavements, don't we? Perhaps I should get a consultant roll in the insurance industry, I'm sure they'd love that one.
Jeez, it's getting to the point that one will need insurance to take a crap in case one damages someones nose:mad::p
Don't count on them not doing it they implemented a smoking ban in all enclosed spaces and included the pub trade that for hundreds of years was a place you went for a smoke and a drink. They decimated it with taxes and bans. They didn't even give pubs the option of being smoking or none smoking pubs. You can't even have a pint in a pub that doesn't cost three times as much as in a supermarket and a smoke anymore. They killed a booming industry in the richest decade in history. I won't be supprised whatever they do. Ebikes are priced rediculesly as it is
 
  • Agree
Reactions: RobbieBear

MikeS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 29, 2018
299
73
73
My bike is (I think) covered on my household policy and if used away from home, I am covered if it (ridden by me or one of my family) damages someone else or their property. I was in the process of calling the insurer today as the policy certificate seemed to exclude motorised bicycles and I had told them it was an ebike. However, on reading through their full policy they exclude 'motorised bicycles (but not electrically assisted bicycles)'
There is also some ambiguity as to whether they have limited the personal bike extension to theft only, but that's not the way I'm reading it at the moment.
Mike
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,848
30,402
Don't count on them not doing it they implemented a smoking ban in all enclosed spaces and included the pub trade that for hundreds of years was a place you went for a smoke and a drink. They decimated it with taxes and bans. They didn't even give pubs the option of being smoking or none smoking pubs. You can't even have a pint in a pub that doesn't cost three times as much as in a supermarket and a smoke anymore. They killed a booming industry in the richest decade in history. I won't be supprised whatever they do. Ebikes are priced rediculesly as it is
No, won't happen. They do things for a bonus, and with the smoking bans it was the health bonus to cut NHS costs long term. The pubs ill effect didn't matter since they were dying anyway due to drink prices.

Cycling is in an opposite position, they want to encourage it to get people out of cars to ease congestion, cut roads costs and improve health again. That's why they won't lift a finger against cycling.

It's why our governments have killed every attempt to introduce helmet compulsion, even a bill to introduce it for children was refused debate time in the H of C. They know how helmet compulsion has killed cycling elsewhere and won't do anything to discourage cycling here.
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MikeS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 29, 2018
299
73
73
I checked with my Household Contents insurer (LV) as to whether I'm covered riding my ebike away from the home. This is their answer:
"Thank you for your email.

Public liability cover is provided if you are found negligent in a court of law.

We hope this provides the confirmation that you require, however if you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind Regards,"


This wasn't obvious from the insurance documents which seemed to imply they were only covering theft of loss of the bike.
Mike
 

Jowwy

Pedelecer
Jul 20, 2018
89
22
48
1st if this is reported elsewhere in Pedelecs i apologize for double posting, i did look and couldn't find any other reports of this.

So the EU, in their wisdom, are going to class any vehicle with any sized motor(including 250w and under) as a motor vehicle and therefore requiring motor insurance and just as with cars, if you are not insured you can be prosecuted, fined, have points taken off your driving license and even be sent to prison. This is of course being promoted by the motor insurance industries as they cant abide the fact that millions(in EU) of Ebikers are out of their reach. £550 pounds a year is the figure mentioned.
The cycling lobby in the EU are attempting to reverse this decision which i believe has already been passed but has to be implemented on a country by country level. I don't know how the UK stands on this because of Brexit BUT you can bet your bottom dollar(£) that the Tories(and i bet Labour would agree) would follow suit in the name of helping the insurance industry. But i think that if we are not very careful the ebike industry would die a very quick death just as its starting to gain momentum.
What if you don't have a drivers licence, were are they going to take the points from??
 

KirstinS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2011
3,224
899
Brighton
What if you don't have a drivers licence, were are they going to take the points from??
What happens to those who get caught breaking driving laws without a license ? Without bothering to check I’d just assume the same ?


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KirstinS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2011
3,224
899
Brighton
[QUOTE="f

Cycling is in an opposite position, they want to encourage it to get people out of cars to ease congestion, cut roads costs and improve health again. That's why they won't lift a finger against cycling.

It's why our governments have killed every attempt to introduce helmet compulsion, even a bill to introduce it for children was refused debate time in the H of C. They know how helmet compulsion has killed cycling elsewhere and won't do anything to discourage cycling here.
.[/QUOTE]


I totally agree with you about the helmets fur kids position and refusal to debate in commons.

But I see change happening, like snowboarding achieved, helmet is part of the cool.

You will never see a boarder without one. You see tons of skiers with them now too. In the 80 s not one over 5

The narrative that states " having a helmet is dorky/sad/offputting etc. is changing to "if you don't wear a lid.. Yer a mug "!








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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,848
30,402
What if you don't have a drivers licence, were are they going to take the points from??
What happens to those who get caught breaking driving laws without a license ? Without bothering to check I’d just assume the same ?
Yes, they still get the points. Just like driving bans they get added to any future licence that they take out.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,848
30,402
and whats driving got to do with riding a bike?
The question Kirstin asked and I was answering as well was:

"What happens to those who get caught breaking driving laws without a license ?"

i.e. breaking driving laws. If truly cycling on a normal bike or legal pedelec there will be no driving offence or points of course.

But if the pedelec is one of the high proportion of those illegally powered or with excessive assist speed or with a post-December 2015 independent throttle, offences can be motoring offences since those pedelecs are motor vehicles in law. That can mean points which, if no current licence is held, are applied if at any time a licence is sought in future.
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  • Agree
Reactions: chris_n and Fat Rat

rhino7

Just Joined
Jul 24, 2018
1
0
If you join Cycling UK (previously CTC) you get 3rd party insurance included. Membership is only £40-odd per year and you get quite a few other benefits too, such as discounts at Halfords, Cotswold Outdoors, etc.