Breakdown Insurance Explained

How breakdown insurance can mean you'll never get caught short when out and about in your car.

Breakdown cover can be invaluable if you have car trouble as wherever you are in the UK, a team of qualified mechanics will be on-call to help. Depending on the company, assistance will either be provided by a specialist team of mechanics or by the nearest approved garage.

There are several different levels of breakdown cover available, ranging from basic roadside assistance to comprehensive cover which includes features such as emergency accommodation and car hire. Other levels of cover will include relay and home start features too. European breakdown cover is also available; this does usually come at extra cost but can be worthwhile if you plan to travel on the continent.

Most breakdown cover providers offer the option of insuring a person or a vehicle. Vehicle based breakdown cover is normally cheaper and will cover a specific vehicle regardless of who is driving. Personal membership on the other hand will provide cover for the insured individual whatever car they are driving and whether they are a driver or passenger. Different levels of person-based cover are available, including single, joint and family cover (which usually covers up to 4 members).

Many breakdown cover providers offer additional benefits to their customers such as discounts on insurance and other financial products as well as offers on entertainment and accommodation. Additionally, it is usually possible to build up a no-call-out discount on your breakdown policy.

Before committing to a specific level of breakdown cover, it is worth checking whether there are any limitations on the number of call outs allowed or restrictions on the cost of parts or labour. Most insurers aim to have a mechanic with you in well under an hour, so by comparing the details of different policies offered you can be confident that if you do have a problem, you'll have someone on call to help.