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Should I get breakdown cover before a long journey?
Dear Chris, My family and I are planning a driving holiday over the bank holiday weekend, but we don’t have any breakdown insurance. Are we tempting fate by driving without breakdown cover?
Walter Jones, via email, Tuesday 26 April 2011
Our breakdown expert says…
Nearly 8 million Brits are planning UK road trips over the bank holiday weekends, according to research by Santander. But just like you many (14%) don’t have any form of breakdown cover, meaning they risk expensive bills for getting stranded on the hard shoulder or towed home.
The true cost of a car breakdown
I recommend that all drivers take out breakdown cover, regardless of your age, sex, driving experience or vehicle condition. Knowing that a skilled mechanic will always come to your aid wherever or whenever your car breaks down is a huge comfort when going on a long journey.
But the true financial benefits of breakdown cover usually revel themselves after you break down without breakdown insurance and are hit with an expensive bill.
For example, you could be charged up to £150 in call-out costs and many hundreds of pounds more for parts and labour - depending on the severity of your car’s breakdown problem.
Add to that the stress of, say, tracking down a garage at 4am from a motorway hard shoulder or waiting with your kids on a country road, and the true cost of driving without breakdown insurance suddenly becomes much clearer.
Green Flag (www.greenflag.com) car breakdown cover starts at just £20 per month and includes roadside assistance, local vehicle recovery and free call-outs. The mechanic will even send you a text message to say when they’re on the way.
You can compare breakdown deals online from a range of other providers, including the RAC (www.rac.co.uk) and AA (www.theaa.co.uk), and customise your cover with:
- Home start assistance - Handy if your car won’t start on a frosty morning
- European Cover - Breakdown cover that includes holidays abroad
- Priority rescue - Fast assistance for anyone in a vulnerable situation.
Popular Breakdown Deals
| Company | Package Name | From | Roadside repair | Online Discount | Tow to nearest garage |
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