 | Home > Finance & Insurance > Insurance and Green Laning - thing of the past? |
 
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| Garthlands Member Since: 01 Dec 2021 Location: Glasgow Posts: 26  
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Not that I condone or have any experience of such………
But I might possibly have heard the odd thing or two about having bashed ones LR or possibly even having really seriously dented same by having it the wrong way up, drag it to the nearest kings highway with an appropriately sized ditch, chuck it in there and call the AA. Job done 👍 Minor scratches should of course be attributed to your appropriate local supermarket trolley recklessness. Blimey, that does all make me seem like a right dodgy chap!!🤣🤣🤣 |
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7th May 2024 10:34pm |
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| sasdiscos Member Since: 22 Jul 2023 Location: UK Posts: 151 
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When I had my 90 off road truck. I paid extra for off road and pay and play day insurance.
I don’t want a serious accident to happen and not be covered. Steve. |
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8th May 2024 7:39pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20453 
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 As always superbly and articulately explained by Blackwolf.  No Guts, No Glory.
🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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8th May 2024 8:52pm |
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| Puma_MOG Member Since: 08 Sep 2017 Location: Cheshire Posts: 184 
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Fully agree and a big thank you to all who helped put my mind at ease.
I know the Defender is capable for much more than I will use it for but I do enjoy a scenic green lane run from time to time. |
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9th May 2024 4:35am |
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| sasdiscos Member Since: 22 Jul 2023 Location: UK Posts: 151
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9th May 2024 6:08am |
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| pjm-84 Member Since: 12 Apr 2021 Location: Hampshire Posts: 662
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As noted in the above....
Ironically I was thinking about speed limits whilst riding along a green lane the other day and what that legal position was. I prefer to be respectful to the lane / conditions.....if I want to race than I'll go to an Enduro or MX track |
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9th May 2024 8:53am |
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 752
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The legal limit will be the posted limit as per any other road, so if it starts in a 30mph zone and isn't posted any different, it would be 30mph. If it is NSL then it would be 60mph.
However most lanes are not suitable for high speed and I'd guess walking pace to about 20mph would be a sensible speed range for most unpaved sections. |
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9th May 2024 9:17am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17450 
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Remember also that whilst you may not be breaking a speed limit on an unsurfaced right of way, you will undoubtedly be falling foul of other aspects of vehicle-usage legislation such as driving without due care and attention, dangerous driving, driving in a manner which inconveniences or causes danger to other users, and so on. There are so many rules now that almost everyone is doing something wrong nearly all the time when driving.
Plus you would be behaving like a total to55er and doing yet more inestimable harm to the reputation of 4x4 owners, and accelerating the time when all such use is completely banned. I sincerely hope (and expect) that no-one in the generally cultured forum would dream of such behaviour! |
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9th May 2024 11:03am |
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| Mr Fox Member Since: 10 Sep 2011 Location: green & pleasant land Posts: 1037 
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It may have been mentioned but I did wonder whether an insurance company would approach a claim differently if:
scenario one: insured parties drives down a green lane as an individual and has an accident and wants to claim vs scenario two: insured party takes part in an organised green-lane tour, hosted by a commercial company, and has an issue that results in a claim. As for the link above, Howden state: "Because insurers consider green laning and off-roading riskier driving, it’s unlikely that your standard car insurance policy will cover you on green lanes." I'd like to see how they enforce that in the place of a claim, hence my question above; however, knowing someone who has just had a claim rejected on their home insurance because the insurance company said they failed to declare that the home owner had failed to mention they were operating a business from the home (which had no relation to the claim), they seem to try to weasel out of paying if they can. |
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9th May 2024 11:37am |
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| pjm-84 Member Since: 12 Apr 2021 Location: Hampshire Posts: 662
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Agree...hence the consideration element and representation.
On a bike its easier to carry more speed but much much easier to fall off. |
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9th May 2024 11:38am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17450
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An organised green-lane tour could easily be considered to fall into the "organised event" exclusion that some policies have, despite being non-competitive.
I am not aware that there is any way apart from a specific exclusion that an insurance company could wriggle out of paying a claim if you are exercising your legal right to "pass and repass" along a public right of way, irrespective of the nature of the surface. They can no more reject a claim from damage occurring on a green lane than they could damage occurring on an A-road simply by virtue of the location. It is possible that they could reject a claim on the basis that you knowingly exposed your vehicle to a degree of risk that a normal person would realise was likely to be damaging and should be avoided. That being said I have heard of people who have successfully claimed after driving their cars into floodwater so deep that it was obvious that the car would be destroyed, something I would put in the above category. This is now specifically excluded from most policies for this reason. I am not aware of any policy which requires the policy holder to prove that they are not stupid, something which is perhaps unfortunate. Incidentally I think anyone who would consider organising a green lane tour without having specific public liability and third party insurance would fall well into the "stupid" category. The risks in this litigious age are simply too great. |
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9th May 2024 12:32pm |
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| Mr Fox Member Since: 10 Sep 2011 Location: green & pleasant land Posts: 1037
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All good points and well made. Top sentence was my thought re wriggle room for the insurance co. Next sentence... if only so they didn't give further justification for the constant ramping up of premiums! Last point, I would assume this to be the case but there is a reasonable probability that they could hide behind an LLP or perhaps a very lean company that would be easy to wind down. Or, perhaps I am being a pessimist.  |
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9th May 2024 2:28pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17450
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There is, sadly, an increasingly fine distinction between a pessimist and a realist.
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9th May 2024 9:35pm |
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| Puma_MOG Member Since: 08 Sep 2017 Location: Cheshire Posts: 184
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Small update which I added in my original post.
After a bit of back and forth my insurer has confirmed that green laning is covered due to many of the points listed in this thread but stressed proper off-roading isn't. Feels good to have this in writing and for peace of mind.  |
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10th May 2024 9:34am |
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