All motorcycle races and trials events in Northern Ireland cancelled this year

Some folk may be interested in a report in today's Belfast Telegraph paper.

'The North West 200 and all motorcycle road races, short circuit and trials events in Northern Ireland have been cancelled for 2023 due to crippling Public Liability insurance costs. The decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland (Ulster Centre) on Thursday night.

National road races were facing an increase of three times more than they paid in 2022, with clubs looking at costs of more than £50,000.

It is understood that the body responsible for motorcycle racing in the Republic of Ireland, Motorcycling Ireland, is also facing a similar scenario after being unable to find an insurance company willing to provide cover.'

SAD ! But so many events in the recent past have gone this way. Our risk averse society ? Noel.

Yes very sad. Those are some legendary races that have gone on for generations.

Just the latest example of the insurance companies running our society. It is not society that is risk averse -- people still want to go and watch the races -- is the insurance companies wanting to maximise profit by not covering anything that might remotely result in a payout.

Expect it to get worse this next year as the stockmarket continues to not do so well. That is where the insurance companies make much of their profit, by investing their huge premiums pool in the stockmarket and banking the returns. Somebody has to pay in a bad year, so of course it is us punters, with higher premiums and the refusal of coverage for anything remotely likely to result in a payout.

And behind that I suppose we can blame our increasingly litigious society and the resulting lawyers' picnics.

Edited By Hopper on 10/02/2023 12:02:25

I've stopped going to the IOM TT because I don't want to be there when (not if) someone gets killed.

So many sports and hobbies have problems with insurance it was so simple in my speed record days in 1960 to 1980.

More regulations if you want a competition licence and costs just keep rising

Most motorcycle road races in Northern Ireland cancelled - BBC News

Litigious society would be more accurate.

Robert Butler

A bit of research reveals a more complicated story going back several years.

Part of the problem is that these events are free to view, making it difficult for organisers to raise the money needed to cover costs. They've been subsidised by the public sector, and as a taxpayer, I'm against funding freebies for motorcycle fans when nurses are being asked to pay for inflation.

Motorcycling Ireland also blames Brexit: previously the event was insured by a European firm, who withdrew. (Since Brexit significant numbers of European firms have chosen not to do UK business because they can make money elsewhere without having to do a lot of border paperwork.)

Unfortunately, after they withdrew, Motorcycling Ireland were unable to find anyone prepared to take the risk of insuring Irish events. (Usual cause of insurance companies refusing business is a bad accident record. Have any recent motorcycling events resulted in any big claims?)

Seems to have moved on since then, but the lowest quote received was £400,000, which was too much for the clubs.

I think it quite right that bystanders injured by crashing motor cyclists should be recompensed. If I'm hurt or my property is damaged, I expect someone to be held responsible. Big payouts and prison for negligence or wrong doing.

It's not that society has become more litigious or risk averse, it's that people are being called on to pay for blunders. Should anyone expect the taxpayer or Insurance companies to cough up when fans don't? Nothing stopping them from sending money to Northern Ireland so that motorcycling events can continue.

Dave

It has to be remembered that some spectators are real idiots.

I remember, when I was much younger, sitting on the grass bank 100 yards down track from Creg-ny-Baa with bikes passing within 3 feet of my legs. I noticed last year, watching on TV, that the whole area was roped off.

It was so much better when I was young.

JA

Enough said.

Edited By JA on 10/02/2023 14:48:06

I'm against funding freebies for motorcycle fans when nurses are being asked to pay for inflation.....

Should anyone expect the taxpayer or Insurance companies to cough up when fans don't?

How much do the visitors who come to NI for the motorcycle events contribute to the economy there ? Ferries, accomodation, hospitality, fuel etc. I would expect that the extra tax revenues generated by such events would outweigh any investment by the NI Tourist authorities. Greater tax take = more money in the coffers to pay nurses more ?

Nigel B.

Recent update

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/motorcycle-union-preparing-rescue-package-to-prevent-loss-of-ni-road-races/1444134401.html

I have been a very regular visitor to Northern Ireland for the last 50+ years and enjoyed the pure roads racing. A few years ago at the Ulster GP racing was stopped when a spectator tried to take a "Selfie" and a rider went down. No one can allow for stupid.

Thats a tragedy, it will cost people quite a lot to bring their vans and bikes over to the UK mainland to compete. I had never thought about the insurance needed for the sport. I assumed that each competitor had insurance.

Someone on the radio earlier said these events put £16 million plus into the N.Ireland economy. If that is true then spending taxpayers money on insurance would be money well spent.

I'm not a motocyclist or fan but this thread brough back memories.

I think society has become more litigious.
I used to live in the NI and as a member of Raynet supported the Red Cross at the NW200 with radio communications. I was injured in 1979 when Tom Herron crashed. There was no thought, never mind mention of liability or a claim. I chose to be there and understood the risks. it was a fairly minor injury but needed hospital treatment and could easily have been life changing. Of couse today he would not have been allowed to race with a broken hand.
Many things have changed, most for the better, but not all.

Robert.

I blame ambulance chasing solicitors.

A lot of the "ambulance chasers" that sprang up in the 1990s soon went out of business because thankfully, a higher proportion of claims are rejected or at least never go to court, than in some other countries.

What the insurance companies seem not to think though, is that the more they crush events out of existence, or reject cover on totally spurious grounds, the less income they have to cover the relatively few claims they do settle.

By "spurious grounds" I mean ones that do not stand up to any knowledge of the subject; but are based on ignorance and prejudice.

Why single out the nurses? They have and are getting increases (along with the rest of the public sector) above the private sector.

Jim

From the Office of National Statistics:

"Average regular pay growth for the private sector was 7.2% in September to November 2022, and 3.3% for the public sector; outside of the height of the coronavirus pandemic period, this is the largest growth rate seen for the private sector."

**LINK**

Rod

If you think the pay increases the nurses and other public sector workers have received in any year in the past decade are "above private sector" then you need to find a new employer.

At this point i'm even finding it easy to have sympathy with the junior doctors, after I realised my former employer pays office administrators almost what an FY1 doctor earns.

Edited By Jelly on 11/02/2023 10:04:36