Breakdown Insurance FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers which may assist:

How can I avoid breaking down?

Although it is difficult to completely avoid breakdown situations there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of breaking down. Make sure your car is fully serviced and if you’re driving somewhere cold remember to take antifreeze. Check your tyre pressures regularly. Always use the correct petrol type for your vehicle and make sure you have a full tank before starting a long journey. If you want to travel but your car is not reliable, consider leaving it at home and hiring one instead, make sure that the hire company is covered for breakdowns too.

What is commercial vehicle breakdown insurance?

Anyone intending to use their vehicle for anything other than private affairs, for example an HGV driver who spends the working week going up and down Europe's motorways or a minibus driver helping out on the occasional school trip, will need to take out commercial breakdown cover insurance, which provides different levels of cover for the more complicated repair and recovery aspects of commercial vehicles. A number of high-street insurance companies won't insure commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes or haulage vehicles, so using a specialist commercial motor insurance broker in these cases is usually the best approach.

What is the SURVIVE group?

SURVIVE stands for Safe Use of Roadside Verges in Vehicular Emergencies. The AA was a founder member of SURVIVE, a group of people, organisations and agencies dedicated to the promotion of driving safety. SURVIVE is a partnership between the Highways Agency who are responsible for managing the motorway network, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the breakdown/recovery industry, and other road service providers. SURVIVE has been established to improve the safety of those who work on the road network and the travelling public.

Download the Breakdown Insurance PDF Guide here - see our other free PDF guides here

Guide Contents

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

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