MPH stunt driver tops dangerous job poll at MPH ’07

Posted on 09/10/2007 under: Motor Shows, News

Few people run rings around Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, but the stunt driver who does exactly that in the live action arena at MPH ’07 is deemed so dangerous that he’s virtually uninsurable. During the show six times British Autotesting champion, Paul Swift, 28, leads a team of stunt drivers who wow the crowds with high speed precision powerslides, J-turns, donuts, two wheel balancing and handbrake manoeuvres in choreographed performances that rival the Red Arrows for death-defying daring.

However, the routine sees terrified insurance men flinching at the mere thought. The result is a life insurance premium that eclipses those of deep-sea trawlermen; helicopter pilots; fire fighters; electricity pylon engineers and oil riggers. Even then, the critical illness exclusions are so exhaustive that it makes the insurance almost worthless.

Paul Swift explained: “Because of my job, insurance men imagine that danger follows me around. If a coconut hit me on the head and put me in a coma I would receive no income protection. The irony is that I have never had an accident, I don’t even have points on my licence and the only time I have been to hospital is because of my nut allergy.”

The 75-minute live action arena is hosted with much hilarity by TV motor mouths Clarkson, Hammond and May and forms part of this year’s prestige and performance motor show experience that, itself, is insured to the tune of £1 billion.

The planned inclusion of examples of every 200mph+ production supercar in the world at this year’s show is unlikely to make it any cheaper to insure along with family entertainment including visitor drives across Land Rover’s mobile assault course.

Source: MPH