UP to now motorcycle pillion passengers have not been specifically covered by the driver's insurance - something of which few parents of motorcyclists and their passengers were probably aware.
But the EU derogation which applied to Ireland from 1990 will run out at the end of next year and the one main provider of motorcycle insurance, Norwich Union, has announced that, as a result, it will begin bringing in new insurance rates from the New Year.
The company expects that the implementation of the directive will result in premium increases ranging from 5 to 60 per cent depending on the age of the driver and cubic capacity of the bike. The older the driver and smaller the cc, the lower the increase and vice versa.
The problem of insuring pillion passengers was first noted back in 1984 when a ban on pillion riding was considered. The dangers associated with motorcycle driving are well known, but Norwich Union has provided the following data to justify this latest premium increase:
motorcycles represent just 1.8 per cent of all registered vehicles but account for almost 10 per cent of all accidents;
accidents involving pillion passengers are more severe than for riders and compensation claims are higher;
pillion passengers account for 12 per cent of all motorcycle injuries;
unlike Britain there is no compulsory basic motorcycle training in Ireland;
unlike Britain, motorcyclists aged just 16 can obtain a licence and insurance with no previous experience or knowledge of the rules of the road;
the average cost of settling claims for personal injuries are four times higher here than in Britain.
The new premiums will be introduced on a pro rata basis from renewal dates in 1998. Someone whose policy is renewed in February will be charged 11 months at existing rates and one month for the new rate; someone renewing their policy in July will be charged at half the existing rate and half at the new rate.
Meanwhile, Norwich Union, which insures 95 per cent of all motorcyclists has also announced that it will only, under special circumstances, cover new customers under 21 who have motorbikes higher than 200cc and those under 25 with cycles over 350cc.
According to the Irish Insurance Federation the cost and frequency of non-comprehensive claims for young drivers aged between 17 and 24 is 93 per cent higher than for the 41 to 45 age group and 100 per cent higher for comprehensive claims. The IIF believes a combination of driver education, streamlining the legal system, tougher road traffic legislation and stronger law enforcement are the only ways to bring down the cost and improve the availability of insurance for younger drivers.
