Breakdown Insurance Cover

Breakdown cover is often regarded as one of the more non essential insurance policies available on the market. There is no legal requirement for us to have it, so by eliminating this extra expense most see it as a way to reduce their insurance outgoings. But every year thousands of motorists breakdown at the side of the road, and to the unfortunate ones without breakdown cover it soon becomes apparent how convenient this type of insurance can be.

Picture the scene on a cold winters night, stranded at the roadside in teeming rain and a howling gale. To many this may seem an unlikely event, however statistics show that for the average car over three years old more than 10% will be inconvenienced by a roadside breakdown at some point in the year.

One way to reduce the risk of a breakdown is to keep your car well maintained. This is equally important not only throughout the winter months, but also during the summer when traffic jams and high temperatures can all take their toll. Just a few minutes each month checking over your car can greatly reduce the risk of it ever breaking down at the side of the road.

The most important monthly checks to do are: tyres, water levels, oil, windscreen washer bottle and lights.

Although you can go to great lengths to keep your car well maintained there is always the risk of an unexpected breakdown, but if in your wisdom you had purchased breakdown cover then you will always have a rescue service on hand to get you moving again. With some car insurance policies you might actually find that breakdown cover is already included, however others will not and you will have to buy it as an optional extra. But like all insurance policies there can be a variety of options from which to choose, and breakdown cover is no exception in that there are normally several choices at different prices.

Some of the frequently found breakdown cover options are:

Roadside Rescue and Home Rescue

This normally covers you and your car for roadside assistance in almost all given circumstances. It could be you breakdown a mile from home, while traveling on the motorway perhaps, or simply your car fails to start while parked in the drive one morning. Roadside and Home rescue will cover you for every one of these situations. Because of this it is often a bit more expensive than say standard Roadside Rescue, for example, but it's well worth the additional fee for the extra peace of mind you get.

Roadside Rescue and Recovery

This usually gives you cover for roadside assistance and home assistance, but also has the benefit of offering a stranded driver one of the following:

A hire car to continue the journey

Meeting the cost of alternative transport

Accommodation in a hotel while you await repairs on your car

Parts and Labour Cover

Some breakdown insurance will allow you to enhance the cover to include parts and labour costs. Under this scheme you are normally allowed a maximum number of claims per year, and any repairs have to be done by an approved garage on behalf of the insurers. For the minimal outlay this cover gives there are definite benefits, but there are still likely to be limits on claims that you cannot exceed. You will still also normally pay an excess on each claim, but in most cases this will usually amount to around £25. Motorhomes, caravans and motorcycles are generally excluded from parts and labour cover because their repairs often call for more unique parts and extended labour costs.

European Roadside Rescue

Some all singing all dancing insurance policies may have this type of breakdown cover already included, so before buying it as an extra do check your existing policy's small print. It could be that when you bought your car insurance this was either part of the policy or you were offered it at as an addition, and therefore you will have already paid a little extra on your premium for the privilege. But, if your insurance doesn't already have this and you intend buying it then you can normally enjoy cover for the following:

Roadside Breakdown

Just as in the UK where you are sent a rescue team to help you get on the move again the same applies in Europe, but the only difference being these roadside rescue trucks will more than likely be the European equivalent. Most companies offering European breakdown cover will have arrangements with breakdown rescue teams across Europe, so they will utilise those partners and affiliates in response to your breakdown call. However, France is a little different as the majority of motorways are privately owned, so you might find yourself initially towed away by the official motorway rescue services. Under the cover your breakdown rescue offers you, though, you will normally be able to claim back the cost of these towing fees once you are back in the UK.

Travel Costs Home

In the unfortunate event your car was stolen while on holiday then European breakdown cover will normally meet the cost involved with having alternative transport home.

Transportation Home for your Car

If your car is damaged to a limit where it is no longer safe to drive then European breakdown cover will normally cover the cost of repatriation for your vehicle.

Breakdown Insurance Tip

Pay particular attention to the dimensions of your car. In the small print it might mention the maximum size of car covered in the breakdown insurance. This is because some breakdown rescue situations will involve the use of a car transporter, and these have strict governing rules on the size of car they can load.

Whichever breakdown cover you choose it's always a good idea to check the small print before you buy and understand fully what is included and excluded in the cover. Quite often further inclusions will include cover for caravans and trailers, for example. But with these extras you will normally find stipulations attached. In the case of the caravan it often states that you cannot make a one way trip with a caravan. In other words, if you intend towing it to site it on a campsite and return only with your car then you may invalidate the cover, as this kind of journey falls into a different category altogether.

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