Having your car break down on you is every drivers worst nightmare, yet despite this, thousands every year run the risk by taking to the roads without any kind of breakdown coverage. It seems to be just one of those things that people tend to class under ‘ it won’t happen to me’, but it happens to many thousands of drivers every year on British roads, and without cover you are looking at a hefty chunk of money to get towed away.
The reality is that a car, just like any other kind of machinery, can break down with little or no warning. That annoying rattle you hear when you switch on the engine can in no time be forcing you to steer a car onto the hard shoulder, or into the side of the road. Car breakdown cover is an extra you can add onto your car insurance, and depending on who your insurance provider is, there are various levels of cover available.
The five areas of cover may vary between companies but the levels tend to be along these lines; roadside assistance, roadside and home assistance, UK recovery, UK recovery and home assistance, and UK and European recovery. The levels are pretty self explanatory; the road assistance generally covers assistance if you break down over ¼ miles from home and transport to a garage or destination up to 10 miles from the breakdown.
The home assist option will come to your need if your car refuses and if they can’t get it going it will be towed to a garage for you, again within a 10 miles radius. If you travel abroad a lot on business, it would be worth your while getting the UK and Europe cover as this will give you the same roadside assistance as you would get in the UK but from a sister company in the country you are in.
Don’t be tempted to take out a breakdown cover before the winter and then cancel it, cars don’t only break down because its cold. Stuck by the side of the road in the sun trying desperately to get hold of a tow truck is nobody’s idea of fun, yet it happens to so many of us year after year.
The cost of a years breakdown cover will recoup itself from one assistance so if you want to be a smart driver, make sure you have breakdown cover either as an extra on your car insurance or as a standalone policy.
