Personal Breakdown Cover
GEM Motoring Assist specialises in personal breakdown cover that covers you as an individual driver or passenger, rather than a specific vehicle
So what is personal breakdown cover?
With personal breakdown cover, you are covered if you break down in any eligible vehicle* that you are driving or travelling in as a passenger. This means you take your breakdown cover, and peace of mind, with you wherever you go.
Because personal car breakdown cover can be used with multiple vehicles of any age, it is a very popular option with those who own more than one vehicle and need personal breakdown cover for multiple cars, motorcycles, small vans, motorhomes and caravans.
If you're interested in personal breakdown cover for car and motorcycle, or to include a small van or caravan, read on for more information on multi-vehicle breakdown cover and how it compares to vehicle-only policies.
How is vehicle cover different?
Unlike personal breakdown cover that covers the driver, vehicle cover simply covers the vehicle itself. The breakdown policy is only for one particular vehicle, no matter who is driving when it breaks down.
Whilst this means that the vehicle is covered no matter who is driving it, it also means that the driver will no longer be covered if they drive another of their vehicles, or indeed if they are travelling as a passenger in another vehicle that suffers a break down.
Vehicle cover may not be the preferred option for households looking for breakdown cover for multiple cars, classic cars, motorcycles, small vans, motorhomes or caravans, as it can work out costly to have to cover each vehicle separately.
Breakdown cover - personal or vehicle?
The right kind of cover for you depends on your needs, for example how many vehicles you drive, how often you travel as a passenger with other people, and how many people in your household you want to have cover if they break down whilst driving.
When weighing up the type of breakdown cover that is best for you, you might be wondering what is personal breakdown cover and what are the pros and cons versus vehicle cover? What is 'any car breakdown cover' versus 'vehicle cover breakdown cover'?
Here are the pros and cons of personal breakdown cover for car and motorcycle:
The pros of vehicle cover
Anyone can drive the vehicle
Anyone who drives the covered vehicle is covered by the breakdown policy.
It can be cheaper than personal cover
It can be cheaper than personal cover as there is less risk involved with only one vehicle to consider.
The cons of vehicle cover
Only one vehicle is covered
If you're looking for breakdown cover for 2 cars, covering them individually, or in a multi-car breakdown cover policy, can quickly become expensive.
You're not covered in another vehicle
If you travel as a passenger in another vehicle that doesn’t have its own cover, then you will not be covered.
The pros of personal cover
Cover in more than one vehicle
Personal cover is perfect breakdown cover for multi-car drivers!
If you're looking for multiple car breakdown cover, in other words you own and drive more than one vehicle, you only need to take out one policy as it will cover you for all of your eligible vehicles*, including classic cars, motorcycles, small vans, motorhomes and caravans.
Personal cover can work out cheaper for owners of multiple vehicles. So if you need breakdown cover for two cars, or indeed more, personal breakdown cover is a good option for you.
Cover as a passenger
Furthermore, if you are a passenger in one of your vehicles but someone else is driving it, you will still be covered under your policy. In fact, you could be a passenger in someone else's vehicle and you would still be covered!
Cover when you share cars
Personal cover is also good for multi-person breakdown cover, as you can sometimes cover more than one person on the same policy, great if you share cars with your partner or grown-up children who still live at home, or are temporarily at university.
The cons of personal cover
You may need to add others to your policy
If more than one person is a driver of your vehicle (or vehicles) then you will need to make sure that you add the other drivers to your policy, as your policy does not cover the vehicle regardless of who is driving. You can add more than one person to a personal cover policy, as long as they live in the same household as the main policyholder.
How much does personal breakdown cover cost?
The cost of personal breakdown cover can vary from provider to provider. Here at GEM, we offer two fully-comprehensive options of personal cover, with no hidden fees or extras, making us cheaper than other personal policy providers. Compare our cover with the AA and the RAC.
Find GEM breakdown cover prices here
What if I need to cover more than one person?
If you're looking to reduce the cost of your breakdown cover, consider multi-person breakdown cover. With GEM personal breakdown cover, you can cover up to four drivers from the same household in one policy, which works out significantly cheaper than four individual policies.
If you want to cover more than one driver, then you can easily add additional drivers to your personal cover policy (up to four members in one household), as long as they live in the same household as the main policyholder, giving them the same fully-comprehensive benefits that you enjoy.
Adding an additional driver to your policy is cheaper than taking out two individual policies. Our personal car breakdown cover policies cover up to four people from one household on one policy.
