Breakdown Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
What is Breakdown Recovery?
Breakdown Recovery covers you on the road in any car or motorcycle. Even if you are travelling in someone else's car or on their motorcycle as a driver or passenger, you usually still use your breakdown recovery to obtain assistance. This assistance will provide repairs to your vehicle at your breakdown location where possible and if appropriate recover your vehicle to a location of your choosing.
Do I need it?
Each year thousands of motorists breakdown on the road. The winter months are always the worst for cars breaking down. However, help can be at hand with many of the leading breakdown insurers. They all have sophisticated tracking and navigation systems, and will endeavour to get to you as quickly as possible. Most will take between thirty and forty minutes, but can be longer or shorter depending on your location. Companies will have an average response time, so make sure you ask about their times and compare this with other breakdown providers.
What do I need to know?
When you purchase Breakdown Cover, your roadside repair provider will usually issue documents such as:
• Membership Card - this is evidence of membership to the break down provider's organisation.
• The Policy Document - sets out in full the terms and conditions of your policy.
Read and make sure you understand your breakdown policy document. If there are insurance terms you are not sure of then check the explanations in the Insurance Glossary
How to choose the right policy for you?
Having a breakdown cover is a sensible decision as you never know when you might need it. There are various providers and below outlines the different types of cover available:
Roadside Rescue Policies usually cover:
• Roadside repair
• Tow to garage within specified radius
• Free roadside repair labour up to 60 mins
Standard Roadside & Home Start Policies usually cover:
• Roadside repair
• Tow to garage within specified radius
• Free roadside repair labour up to 60 mins
• Repair at your house location
• Return vehicle to local garage
Premium Roadside & Home Start Policies usually cover:
• Roadside repair
• Tow to garage within specified radius
• Free roadside repair labour up to 60 mins
• Repair at your house location
• Return vehicle to local garage
• A hire car to either return home or for onward journey
• The cost of alternative transport to either return home or for onward journey
• Accommodation in a local hotel while awaiting completion of repairs (with restrictions)
Where do you buy your insurance?
Make sure you shop around and get at least five or six prices to ensure you are getting competitive quotes. But don't just look at the price, check what is covered under the policy, the restrictions and extras.
asrecommended can reduce the amount of time and money you spend on comparing quotes by bringing you the UK's leading companies and providing you with all the online links, phone numbers and information you need to get the cheapest quotes.
The opinions expressed are those of the author only. The material is for general information only and does not constitute legal, financial or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation by an FSA authorised company where the market is FSA regulated.