September, 21, 2021
Car breakdown cover in the UK is a paid service you purchase, usually with your car insurance that in situations where you breakdown away from home, or cannot start your car at home, a mechanic will come to you and try and repair your car.
That’s the simple bit! It obviously gets more complicated with the many options you have available. There are various basics that you need to be aware of such as most basic roadside assistance packages do not cover you within a quarter mile from your home. In some instances, not being to start your car at home could cost you more than you bargain for.
Research shown tells us that road users called breakdown services to their homes more than from any other part of their journey! So, getting the right cover is vital.
Generally, the most common cover supplied by the various breakdown companies starts with a 'Basic', this in most case is Roadside Assistance and entails a break down vehicle coming to you to either fix or tow you to the closest garage.
Other variations include 'Home Cover' and knowing more cars need fixing at home than out on the road, this is an important addition to your policy. Adding this to a basic cover can be expensive so make sure you shop around at the beginning for a best price as a package.
This for me is the perfect cover needed if you travel around the UK a lot. It is exactly what is states - National Breakdown and Recovery. You, your passengers, and your vehicle will get picked up and towed or on a flatbed lorry to either your destination or to the closest garage to your destination. If you’re travelling a long way or on your holidays this means at least you get to the hotel and then your car can be repaired in time to travel home all refreshed.
An obvious addition to the above might be travel insurance.
Personal cover means simply, you can call out the breakdown service you have chosen for any car you may be in at that time. This is either for you as the driver or the passenger and is very useful if you have several cars or travel a lot in a different vehicle.
Roadside assistance cover pricing can differ wildly but sticking to the national companies that do it best is advisable. For instance, AA breakdown cover rescues a car, motorbike, or caravan on average every 10 seconds, and they promise to get to you within an hour and even less if you are in a dangerous or vulnerable situation.
When you look at these figures it sort of makes sense, 37% of cars break down at home, with 28% in town, 23% out of town or rural areas and 12% on motorways or dual carriageways. The cost of choosing the right cover in the first instance could save you hundreds of pounds over the year and more importantly, keep you moving and safe on our roads.
Shaun Richings
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