Breakdown Cover

We all rely on our vehicles to get us where we want to, and it can be extremely frustrating, not to mention inconvenient if they break down, causing us to miss a vital appointment, be late for work, or spoil our holiday. It's bad enough if the car breaks down in the middle of town, but it can be far worse if it leaves us stranded and alone in the middle of nowhere.

Fortunately, help is available from a huge range of breakdown insurance companies, who can offer a number of breakdown services, often at very reasonable prices. Some, such as the AA and RAC provide roadside assistance using their own dedicated patrols, whilst others (including Green Flag) make use of a national network of independent garages and recovery agents.

Policies are usually divided into two categories: vehicle and person. Vehicle cover means that a particular car is covered for breakdown, no matter who is driving it, whilst person cover means that you personally are covered as the driver or passenger of any car - a useful option if you drive a number of vehicles. You are often given the option to extend this coverage; for example, if you select person coverage you may extend this to joint membership (yourself and another named person living at your home address), family membership (you, and up to 3 other named persons living at your home address) or vehicle membership (anyone who drives the vehicle). These extended options will obviously increase the policy premium.

Once you have decided the type of cover you require, you will then need to select the level. This may range from the most basic entry level plans that simply include roadside assistance if you breakdown away from home, along with a tow to the nearest garage, to the most comprehensive plans, which will provide transport home for you, your car and your passengers, or if necessary, a replacement hire car and overnight accommodation expenses. It may also be possible to include European cover to your policy, to provide peace of mind whilst you're driving abroad. It's important to work out which of the options offered are important to you, so you can build a breakdown package tailored to your needs.

In this section, you'll find an in-depth explanation on each of the different levels of breakdown cover offered, along with a comparison of some of the most popular breakdown service providers.