I know it is illegal to drive a car on UK roads without insurance, but is it illegal to drive without breakdown insurance?
No. Motor insurance is compulsory; breakdown cover is entirely optional. Nothing in law requires it and you will never be asked for it at a roadside check.
What the law does do is make it expensive to be without. On a motorway you cannot stay on the hard shoulder indefinitely; if you have no cover, the emergency phone connects you to the police or National Highways, who will arrange a recovery to a safe place at a statutory charge that you pay. On an ordinary road you can call any recovery operator and pay their rate, which is typically more than an annual policy for a single short tow.
Going without is a reasonable choice if you have cover from another source — a manufacturer's package on a newer car, or a packaged bank account — or if you drive very locally and could absorb a one-off bill. For most people, basic roadside and recovery cover bought at the new-customer price is cheaper than the risk. Our guide to car breakdown cover sets out the alternatives.
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