There are estimated to be on average about 20,000 breakdown’s in the UK everyday, with flat batteries, engine trouble and flat tyres the most popular causes the recovery services noticed. One of the most common causes of flat batteries is leaving the headlights on overnight, using the car excessively for short journeys, electronic devices within the car (GPS, CD players) or because of damp, loose or corroded connections on the battery – there are a number of safety checks that can be carried out on a car to minimise the chances of a breakdown.
Checking the battery and tyres can help to prevent breakdowns, but some people cannot find the time or are unable to carry out the necessary regular checks, breakdown cover can provide peace of mind if ever the vehicle becomes stranded on the roadside. With breakdown cover the driver (and passengers) can safely wait for professional help to arrive rather than risking fixing the fault. There are a variety of breakdown cover packages available starting from the basic roadside package to a more comprehensive package.
The basic roadside cover which will offer assistance if the vehicle breaks down on the road the cover will ensure that if the car can be fixed at the roadside (the majority of breakdown calls can be resolved at the roadside by professional recovery services), if it cannot be resolved the vehicle can be towed to a local garage or to a destination of the policy holders choice (some policies will have a limit to the number of miles the vehicle can be towed). The basic breakdown cover can be limited by the number of callouts the policy holder can make in the year, (as well as the age of the vehicle) although some providers may have a service available 24 hours a day 365 days a year and not charge for a call out. You can sometimes even find Student Car Insurance will include basic breakdown cover.
A more comprehensive type of breakdown cover will include all the benefits of roadside assistance as well as allowing the policy holder (and passengers) to continue their journey to another part of the country if the repair can’t be made on the same day through use of a hire car or relief driver – some insurers will include overnight accommodation in the event of a breakdown as part of a comprehensive policy with no upper limit on the amount of callouts made in a year.
