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- Breakdown Cover Insurance
Breakdown Cover, otherwise known as Breakdown Recovery or Breakdown Insurance, covers you for assistance in the event of a vehicle breakdown. A breakdown cover company will provide repairs to your vehicle at the roadside if necessary. If possible they will also recover your vehicle and take it to a location of your choosing such as your home.
The British breakdown cover service was primarily started by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) and The Automobile Association (AA). Both The RAC and The AA started as clubs to offer general support to their members but expanded to offer assistance for mechanical failures. Now with the aid of sat nav guided engineers in state-of-art rescue vehicles breakdown engineers can find you more rapidly than ever before. Both the RAC and AA have a history of over 100 years of service and carry formidable reputations for the quality of service they provide.
Yes. It is certainly good value and if you don't have it you may regret it. Every year thousands of motorists find themselves stranded on the side of the road after a mechanical breakdown. Winter months are always the worst for cars breaking down due to the effect of bad weather on your car's mechanics. In remote areas in freezing weather it can be especially dangerous to experience a vehicle breakdown. However with the aid of a mobile phone and breakdown cover, assistance can be just minutes away. All major breakdown recovery services use satellite navigation systems and they will try and reach you as quickly as possible day or night.
When you purchase Motor Insurance your insurer will provide a Certificate of Insurance - the evidence of insurance as required by the Road Traffic Act. They will also provide a Policy Document - which sets out in full the terms and conditions of your breakdown policy. Read and make sure you understand your insurance policy document in full. If there are insurance terms you are not sure of then check them out. Check for any exclusions or special conditions and be satisfied it is in accordance with your needs.
Choosing the right breakdown company is important. With lot of different policy options available it is useful to consider what your needs are before taking out cover. First you need to consider whether you want vehicle based cover so that anyone could be driving your vehicle and still be covered; or person based cover so you can be the driver or passenger of any vehicle and still receive assistance. The latter is usually the more expensive option. Personal cover can be especially beneficial if you drive several vehicles. Then you need to decide the level of cover from basic roadside assistance through to more comprehensive packages offering alternative transport, hotel accommodation, etc. Your insurer may also offer you options for additional names on the policy.
Here are some examples of the types of typical policies on offer:
Roadside repair
Tow to garage within a specified radius
Free roadside repair/labour up to one hour
Roadside repair
Tow to garage within specified radius
Repair at your house given location
Return vehicle to local garage
Free roadside repair/labour up to one hour
Roadside repair
Tow to garage within specified radius
Free roadside repair/labour up to one hour
Hire car to return home or for onward journey
Cost of alternative transport home or for onward journey
Repair at your house given location
Return vehicle local garage
Accommodation
Obviously this depends on factors such as the number of calls your recovery provider is fielding and how remote your breakdown location is. The average response time is around 30-40 minutes for the major firms in the UK who provide emergency assistance 24-7, 52 weeks a year. Most will take between thirty and forty minutes but can be longer or shorter depending on your location. All companies should be able to provide you with an average response time when obtaining quotes so ensure you ask about their recovery times and compare with other providers.
It shouldn't be a problem. Many firms will arrange and pay for a callout and labour and assistance at your home or at the roadside. Check your policy.
Make sure you shop around and get at least four or five quotes to ensure you are getting competitive quotes. But don't just look at the price check what is covered under the policy including any exclusions, restrictions and extras. It may be cheaper to book your policy online in some circumstances.
If you have person based cover even if you are traveling in someone else's car (or on their motorcycle) as a driver or a passenger it is still possible to use your breakdown recovery insurance to obtain assistance. Person based cover covers you whilst travelling as a driver or passenger with any vehicle. Always check the terms of your policy carefully though.
Yes. Policies are available for travelling abroad, commonly for Europe from UK recovery firms. Some firms offer multi-lingual staff who will put you in contact with the nearest garage to provide assistance. Normally you can take out specialist cover for a month for any holiday abroad where you using a vehicle. Transport of replacement parts, transport for you and your luggage to your destination and replacement rental vehicle are the types of cover you can expect.
Check your policy. Many firms offer coverage for a range of vehicles including Vans, Motor Homes plus Towed Caravans or Trailers although there may be restrictions involved. Check your policy carefully.
Breakdown cover is a term mainly used in Britain. Other countries offer similar schemes but these are often called by such names as emergency roadside repair or roadside assistance. The term breakdown cover remains the most common term worldwide for this type of vehicle assistance insurance.
