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Guide Contents

What is breakdown insurance?
Why you might need breakdown insurance
What are the different types of breakdown insurance?
Shopping around for your breakdown insurance cover
Applying for your breakdown insurance
Breakdown insurance FAQs
Where can I go to get more breakdown insurance help?

What is breakdown insurance?

Breakdown insurance is a type of insurance which covers motor vehicles when they breakdown either at home, at work or when you are travelling in the UK or abroad.

Most mechanical breakdowns can be avoided or prevented with regular and appropriate vehicle servicing.

At it's most basic level breakdown insurance provides what's called 'roadside assistance' which covers you for:

• a qualified mechanic to come out to your vehicle
• the mechanic's labour to get the vehicle going if possible
• taking the vehicle to the nearest garage

More comprehensive breakdown insurance cover is available which can include replacement vehicles, overnight accommodation and alternative travel expenses. The most common reasons that cause vehicle users to need roadside assistance are:

• A flat or faulty battery
• Flat or punctured tyres
Ensuring you have a full tank of petrol before you start a long journey can also reduce your risk of needing assistance.
• Alternator not working
• Starter motor failing
• Run out of fuel or wrong fuel used
• Keys locked in the vehicle
• Immobiliser activated either by accident or driver error

In a large number of cases most call outs result in the vehicle being restarted on the spot, for example the RAC claims they fix around 80% of vehicles at the roadside.

However, not all breakdown situations can be predicted or managed in advance and breakdown insurance can give peace of mind by providing cover for the unexpected. This booklet looks at the different types of breakdown insurance available to private (non-commercial) vehicle users, to enable you to make an informed decision about which type of cover is right for you.

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