Personal vs Vehicle Breakdown Cover: What's The Difference?

Like many things in life, when you start looking into insurance such as breakdown cover, you could find yourself suffering from information overload and unsure which direction to go in.

Here we explain the difference between the different types of breakdown cover, to help you decide which is right for you.

What is breakdown cover?

Having breakdown cover in place means that, should your vehicle break down, it can be repaired or recovered as safely and quickly as possible. It gives you the peace of mind that help is just a phone call away, 24 hours a day.

There are various types of cover available and, depending on the problem and the level of cover you have, your vehicle could be repaired at the roadside, taken to a nearby garage, taken home or to your onward destination.

Without breakdown cover in place, you would need to arrange for a local mechanic to come to your location and provide assistance - which could be a challenge if you break down at night or in a remote location. It could also be expensive.

Alternatively, you could request assistance from a breakdown cover provider and join at the same time - but this would also be more costly than taking out cover before you suffer a breakdown.

If you find yourself in a more perilous situation - such as having broken down by a motorway - you should call the emergency services on 999. You should also contact National Highways on 0300 123 5000.

What is included in breakdown cover?

What is included with a breakdown cover policy will vary among providers. With GEM, our simple and straightforward personal breakdown cover automatically includes home and roadside assistance, nationwide recovery and onward travel.

It also includes unlimited callouts, with coverage for issues such as driver illness, punctures, flat batteries and misfuelling, and running out of fuel or charge.

Other providers often have more complex pricing systems, where you might need to pay a higher premium to have the peace of mind of benefits like nationwide recovery and onward travel, or to buy optional add-ons to get the cover you need.

Since breakdown cover policies vary, it pays to do your research and find a policy that is suitable for your needs.

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. Personal cover is for YOU as a driver or passenger, whereas vehicle cover is for a specific vehicle only.

It is important to understand what kind of breakdown cover you need. Buying the cheapest breakdown cover that only covers a specific vehicle and only includes Home Start won’t help you if you break down on the motorway whilst driving your partner’s car, for instance.

What is the difference between personal and vehicle breakdown cover?

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 if they are travelling as a passenger in another vehicle that breaks down.

Vehicle breakdown 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 from your policy provider to have to cover each vehicle separately.

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 breakdown cover for multiple cars, motorcycles, small vans, motorhomes and caravans.

GEM Motoring Assist specialises in personal breakdown cover that covers you as an individual driver or passenger, rather than a specific vehicle. And with GEM, it’s not just your car that we cover for roadside assistance in your personal or vehicle breakdown. If you fall ill and cannot continue your journey, we’ll help with that too.

What breakdown cover do I need?

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?

The pros and cons of vehicle cover

The Pros:

·        Anyone who drives the covered vehicle is covered by the breakdown policy

·        It can be cheaper than personal roadside assistance cover as there is less risk involved with only one vehicle to consider

The Cons:

·        If you're looking for breakdown cover for more than one vehicle, covering them individually with vehicle cover policies can quickly become expensive

·        If you drive another vehicle, or 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

·        Personal cover is perfect for multi-vehicle drivers as you only need to take out one policy that covers you for all of your eligible cars, classic cars, motorcycles, small vans, motorhomes and caravans

·        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!

·        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

·        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

·        Personal cover can be more expensive if you only want to cover one specific vehicle

Summary

Vehicle Cover might suit you well if you tend to drive the same vehicle throughout the year, and will almost certainly be cheaper than Personal Cover. But if you are likely to drive or travel in different vehicles, Personal Cover will give you the peace of mind that you will get the help you need if you’re involved in a breakdown.

However, this extra flexibility will likely cost more. With GEM Motoring Assist, you are covered whether you are the driver or passenger of any eligible vehicle. This Personal Cover is provided as standard, and there are no add-ons or catches.

Not sure what type of breakdown cover you have?

If you already have breakdown cover protection, it’s a good idea to check if you are covered for your specific vehicle or for yourself as a driver / passenger.

If you are not sure exactly what you are covered for, check your Policy Schedule, which will specify the level of cover you have. You should also have a copy of the Policy Wording or an IPID document that outlines the main cover and exclusions. This information can be found on the provider’s website or by contacting them.

Need breakdown cover?

If you are not currently covered by a breakdown cover policy, it doesn’t take long to get cover in place. At GEM you can buy breakdown cover quickly and easily online or over the phone. You can be covered in 24 hours and can even buy your policy up to three months in advance, if you think you might not need it for a while.

Keep up to date with GEM Motoring Assist at:

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