Is Breakdown Cover Worth It?

Do I need breakdown cover?

It might be tempting to travel without a breakdown cover policy, but we never really know when we might break down and find ourselves unable to get from A to B.

For most of us, a breakdown will not happen often, but there is nothing more frustrating than your car breaking down when you least expect it. So is breakdown cover a necessary insurance policy, or one you can go without?

What is breakdown cover?

Breakdown cover ensures that, should your vehicle break down while you are on the road, your vehicle can be repaired or recovered as safely and quickly as possible.

There are different kinds of cover available and, depending on the circumstances and the level of cover you have in place, your vehicle could be repaired at the roadside, taken to a nearby garage, taken home or to your onward destination.

What is included in breakdown cover?

With GEM, our simple and straightforward personal breakdown cover automatically includes home and roadside assistance, nationwide recovery and onward travel.

Breakdown cover policies vary, however, and it pays to do your research and find a policy that is suitable for your needs. With other providers, you may need to choose from several different levels of cover, or build your cover by adding on what you need.

What isn't included in breakdown cover?

Personal or Vehicle-based breakdown recovery policies intended for the general public will not cover vehicles used for commercial purposes.

Additionally, few providers will be willing to repair or tow a vehicle after an accident, and those that are willing will only do so after being authorised by the police or another emergency service.

Breakdown policies with UK coverage will also not cover you if you break down on continental Europe (a specific policy/add-on will be needed covering European breakdowns - see below).

And if you break down with a pet onboard, transport of said pet to an onward destination is likely to be at the discretion of the operative/provider. Transport of livestock like cattle and sheep will almost certainly not be covered under a regular breakdown cover policy.

Many providers do not include help ‘as standard’ for things like onward travel, nationwide recovery, and misfuelling (although GEM Motoring Assist does).

Is breakdown cover a legal requirement?

It is not a legal requirement to have breakdown cover. It is your choice whether you buy a breakdown cover policy or not, but the peace of mind that breakdown cover brings could really pay off.

Is breakdown cover worth it?

Having breakdown cover in place provides you with peace of mind on the road, however, not all drivers will choose to protect themselves with a breakdown cover policy.

Often our decision to buy an insurance policy is based on our disposable income and how much we are prepared to pay out for a policy that we don’t ever want to actually use. That said, however, breakdown cover is an insurance that provides not only peace of mind, but also proves to be value for money if you need it.

Breaking down without breakdown cover

Breaking down without cover is potentially very costly. Getting your vehicle collected and towed to a garage alone could be very expensive, not to mention any on-the-spot repairs made at the roadside. Without a breakdown cover policy to cover these eventualities, you are likely be charged at a premium rate.

Even if you are lucky enough to break down within easy reach of a garage, you may be waiting a while. When working for a breakdown organisation, recovery operators are on hand to help, but it is not always as quick and easy to give assistance to unscheduled vehicles. 

Something else to bear in mind is that a one-off call-out from a local garage would not help you with the cost of alternative travel or overnight accommodation, which are usually included in a breakdown policy.

How often are you likely to need breakdown cover?

The annual cost of a typical breakdown cover policy is often paid back when you make your first call-out. If you were to suffer two or three breakdowns within one year, an annual membership would more than pay for itself and offer great value for money.

How much should breakdown cover cost?

Depending on the provider and the level of cover you choose, you could buy breakdown cover for a relatively cheap price. That doesn’t mean it’s fit for purpose, however, so it is worth doing a comparison of different policies, what they cover and for what price.

What types of breakdown cover are available?

There are two main types of breakdown cover, personal and vehicle, and the right option for you depends on what you need from your breakdown cover.

Buying the cheapest breakdown cover that only covers a specific vehicle and Home Start won’t help you if you break down on the motorway whilst driving your partner’s car.

Personal breakdown cover

With personal breakdown cover, you are covered as a driver or passenger. This means you take your breakdown cover, and peace of mind, with you wherever you go.

Because personal 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.

And it’s not just your vehicle that we cover. If you fall ill and cannot continue your journey, we can help with that too.

European breakdown cover

A European breakdown policy will, as the name suggests, provide cover for breakdowns in continental European countries. In the majority of cases, ‘Europe’ includes European Union countries, along with some European Economic Area (EEA) states like Iceland and Andorra. Some providers may even cover parts of Turkey (e.g., west of the Bosphorus).

Other providers may enable you to select coverage for certain areas or groups of European countries. With such providers, it may be cheaper to get cover if you plan to drive only in a group of countries nearer the UK (France, Germany etc.) rather than, for instance, the eastern edges of Europe (Bulgaria, Estonia etc.).

So with all that in mind, do I need breakdown cover?

While we all hope that, when we sit behind the wheel of our cars, we will not need the services of a breakdown recovery company, none of us can guarantee that we won’t need one.

It is easy to think that our vehicle will not break down because we are confident in our driving ability or we spend a lot of time and money on maintenance. But even new or well-maintained vehicles can suffer a breakdown. No matter how well you look after your vehicle, a tyre could be punctured at any time through no fault of your own.

Our advice is simple… don't leave it to chance

Not only does purchasing breakdown cover save you money in the long run, it also ensures that you can drive with peace of mind.

Keep up to date with GEM Motoring Assist at:

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