A ruling from the Court of Justice of the EU goes to amend the law on half-yearly insurance. Motorcycles and cars in the garage can no longer be kept stationary without being covered by insurance.
The new European Union directive does not change the lives of most motorists and motorcyclists but weighs on those who, leaving their vehicle in the garage, suspended the policy. Today, the free ride is over.
What are the reactions of European citizens on this? How and why did this decision come about?
Car in the garage: new rule and related ruling
The new norm was triggered after one judgment of the EU Court of Justice regarding a case opened in 2018. This case focused precisely on the question: “do you have to pay the insurance for the whole year, even if a vehicle remains stationary?”. Regardless of whether they have been standing still for months or years, what matters is that the vehicles are fit for use.
The case that the EU decided to resume occurred in Portugal.
In 2018, a Portuguese boy caused a ‘accident mortal (it cost 2 people their lives) using the car parked in his parents’ garage. The Portuguese Guarantee Fund, as per law, compensated the victims’ families and then sued the boy’s family. L’car in question was not insured and was stops in the garage.
A case has broken out and a ruling has established that a vehicle, while remaining stationary, must be insured.
Starting from this case, the European Union has extended this sentence to all member countries (27) with the aim of regulating this type of accident.
An extra cost for families for the benefit of insurance?
The investor associations report that, in recent years, insurance policies have increased a lot. In our country, RC cars are the highest in Europe.
There are not a few who see this new European standard as a advantage for insurance companies, even considering that a fatal accident like the one that took place in Portugal does not leave you indifferent and undoubtedly deserves a specific rule.
The problem is this: those who keep their vehicle stationary and until yesterday did not pay the insurance today see the costs to maintain it increase. In a moment of black crisis for European citizens, this additional cost weighs: to the general increase in prices is added a cost that no longer allows you to save by holding the car or motorcycle stationary.
At present, no Member State is applying the new rule. When the EU states will be forced to apply the standardthey will need to be able to handle the situation as best they can.
