Everything you need to know about Motor Breakdown Insurance

Wherever it happens breaking down in the car is stressful, especially when there is somewhere you need to be. Whether it be on the motorway or on a quiet street road, break downs can cause panic, if you’re unlucky and on the motorway, it can be difficult to find help. Most drivers will experience a breakdown at one point in their lives and, therefore, feel that breakdown cover would benefit them.

What is breakdown cover?

Breakdown cover is sometimes known also as roadside recovery. It is designed to help anybody who drives a car, has broken down and is otherwise unable to get help.

Different providers will offer different types of cover, but the main aim is to get you back on the road as quickly as possible. Your car could be fixed on the roadside or it will be towed to the nearest garage for a repair.

Having breakdown cover will relieve some of the stress if you do breakdown as you know you are in safe hands and one call away from help. 

What types of breakdown cover are available?

There are only two different types of breakdown cover to choose from but there are 5 different features that cover may have. The two different types of cover are standard policies and pay and claim policies.

Standard policies – Standard policies charge you an annual fee that covers you for the year. You are given a certain number of callouts per year, which will vary depending on the provider. This is a simple policy that a lot of people go for, if you break down a mechanic will fix your car at the scene or arrange for it to be towed to a garage.

Pay and claim policies – pay and claim policies are quite different to the standard policy, you call out a local firm to fix the car, you pay upfront and when the car is fixed you make a claim to the insurer to earn your money back. Depending on your situation this can sometimes work out cheaper for you, if for example you own an old car that is more likely to break down. As the car is more likely to break down you don’t know how many callouts you might need, this policy doesn’t have a limit for callouts so might suit you better.

Some breakdown cover policies include extra features, some of these are:

Roadside recovery - provides help in getting your car restarted at the roadside and getting you and your car to the nearest garage if necessary.

Vehicle recovery - includes all the benefits of the first feature, plus ensures you and your car are returned to your home or your planned destination.

Home assistance/home start – this feature restarts your car within a quarter of a mile of your home, this one can be more expensive, but it is very popular.

Onward travel - this option ensures you’re not disrupted by providing a replacement car or by public transport costs and accommodation while your car is being fixed.

European breakdown cover - if you break down abroad then towing, repair, accommodation and repatriation could be covered.

So, do you need breakdown cover?

If you break down it can be extremely expensive to get quick call outs to fix your car, if you travel by car often then breakdown cover is a sensible option if you would rather be safe and not go through this hassle. Breakdown cover is highly recommended for people who drive older and less reliable cars, and if you often drive on motorways or quiet roads as you are more at risk of breaking down.

Cover may also be useful if you commute a lot for work, if you travel for your job or you’re a family, cover may be more expensive if you fall under this category due to the high number of miles you use.

Which cover do you need?

1: If you’re someone who travels but not too often on motorways with a fairly new car then basic cover is more suited to you.

2: If you’re someone who travels very often, with an older less reliable car, on motorways then its worth spending some time looking at different cover and buying a higher level of cover that offers more features.

Is my car protected or me as a driver?

Good question, this you can decide yourself. If you take cover in your name this will protect you no matter what vehicle you’re in if you’re breakdown, your even covered if you’re not driving the car, so if you travel in numerous different cars then this option is probably best for you.

If you don’t get cover under your name then you can get cover under the specific vehicle, meaning that vehicle is covered no matter who drives it. So, if you share a car with someone or more than one person drives your car then this option is probably better for you compared to the first.

European driving, can you get cover while in Europe?

Breaking down in a foreign country is even worse than breaking down in the UK, you’re stuck in an unfamiliar place with people that don’t speak your language and aren’t able to help you.

The answer is yes, you can get cover for breaking down in Europe. European cover offers you the access to English speaking people who can organise for you to get to the closest garage to fix your car, this allows you to get on with your trip without the stress of being stranded in a foreign country.

Many breakdown companies do offer European cover, either as a stand-alone product or they will ask you to add it on to an existing policy for example your car insurance. If you are taking the car on a one off visit your best option is to buy a stand-alone policy.