Breakdown cover varies hugely in price, and
some of the best plans are not from the big providers. But shopping around can
be difficult when the different packages have so many features that vary
between them.
Additionally, you might feel that a top-notch
breakdown policy is overkill if you’ve never broken down before.
Unfortunately, dealing with roadside recovery
can be very challenging, and breakdown cover is a vital helping hand if the
worst does happen.
How to Choose Personal or Vehicle
Cover
To choose breakdown cover, the first decision
you need to make is whether you’re going to insure yourself as the driver, or
the vehicle you drive. There is a basic rule of thumb for this:
●
If you travel in several vehicles
on a regular basis, it makes sure to insure yourself so that you have breakdown
cover irrespective of the vehicle you’re in (remember: you don’t have to be
driving at the time to be covered)
●
If you have one car at home,
shared by yourself, a spouse, and maybe your grown-up kids, then it makes more
sense to insure the car so everyone’s covered for driving it.
There are other factors to bear in mind:
●
The age of the cars you travel in,
and the degree to which you trust them not to break down, might play a factor
in which type of cover you pick
●
Cost is an issue; personal cover
is almost always more expensive than cover for a vehicle, because the
probability of you actually using it is higher.
How Recovery Works
Breakdown cover will either aim to get your
car fixed by the roadside, or it’ll get you to the nearest garage.
Pay more, and you’ll have the option of being
taken to your original destination if you break down. So you can complete your
journey to home, work, or perhaps a holiday.
You might need to consider your own appetite
for risk here. If you travel with small children, being recovered to a garage
in the middle of nowhere may not be much help to you. In that scenario, you’d
perhaps rather be taken to your destination. Some insurers will cover a hotel
and hire car if you’re stuck miles from home.
The final option would be the most expensive:
the option to call out a repair person even if you are stranded at home.
Final Thoughts
The final components in each policy are
essentially the fine print.
●
Consider where you drive. Cover
can be for UK-only, Europe, or the world.
●
Consider how reliable your car is.
If you’re limited to a couple of call-outs a year, you may run out if you have
an older vehicle that’s prone to issues.
●
Finally, consider whether your new
car really needs full roadside cover; it might be better to get a cheap policy
at first. After all, many cars are now more prone to computer problems than
they are to mechanical issues, and few computer-controlled components could be
fixed on a hard shoulder.
Confused? Recovery to a garage is better than
nothing if you’re short of cash. You will at least know that you won’t be
stranded by the roadside if the worst does happen.
*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.