Choosing your car breakdown cover

Standing by the side of the road with a mobile phone glued to one ear and steam coming from underneath the bonnet is every motorist’s nightmare. But breakdown cover can help you get back on the road quickly in the event of a problem, and some companies will even ensure you have accommodation for the night if you are away from home. Many services now go way beyond a straightforward mechanic and van, and it can pay to compare what different companies are providing at what price.

Policies generally come in different forms and will protect either a person, no matter what they are driving, their own car or someone else’s, or a car itself. Policies which protect people across any vehicle can be helpful for large families who like to share and swap cars, whereas a scheme which only protects a single vehicle is handy or for someone who always expects to be in the same car.

Prices are often worked out differently from one provider to the next. Some people charge their breakdown cover according to the type of car and others go by the age of the car, someone’s average annual mileage, and how old the person driving the vehicle is. People who are seen as driving a car with a high likelihood of breakdown may find that their regular charges are higher and might want to go for a fixed price system. This thinking works both ways in that people who drive a very new and reliable car may want something more risk based.

Many of the larger providers will send out a patrol vehicle when you call a hotline, and some can even locate you with your mobile phone signal. The mechanic will then either fix your vehicle by the road or tow it to the nearest garage for repair. This may mean you are seen to quicker and your car is back on the road faster, but accordingly this type of service tends to be more expensive.

Other firms allow someone to use a local recovery firm to pick you up, invite you to pay for any repairs as necessary, and then request that you fill in a claim form to get the money back. This may involve more legwork when dealing with a breakdown, but may save you money on a cover premium.

Some firms operate an insurance type system where people who do not make a claim or call out can expect their premium to go down over time. Others may provide special offers to people who drive very new cars.

People who travel abroad regularly may also want to look at European breakdown cover. Although you may not want one start with, it can be worth asking your potential provider how much they would charge for this extra. Ending up with a breakdown while abroad can be more expensive than at home, and car insurance and travel insurance firms rarely cover someone for such an instance. Getting a vehicle home if it cannot be fixed abroad can be a particular expense someone may want to find out if they are covered for.

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