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Which breakdown cover essentials do you really need?

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Who can you call on when you break down

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10 April 2017

IT’S a worry for anyone on the road – what are you going to do if you break down? Have you checked out breakdown cover options or perhaps you have a handy partner, or parent, who comes to the rescue in times of need. However, when you’re a bit further from home or they’re busy with something else, you’ll need your breakdown cover to come to the rescue.

But what do you actually need? The packages can usually cover anything from ‘Cover for your vehicle’ to ‘Onward Travel’ which means a courtesy car, hotel accommodation for you and your passengers for many times over the year. It really depends on your personal situation, the car you’re using and the roads you’re taking.

With so many options, it can get confusing and you may feel tempted to ‘guilt buy’ the most expensive cover, just in case. Well, here we break down the cover options out there and the essentials you really need. If you look at breakdown cover from RAC you will see a clear outline of exactly each cover gets you, then it’s up to you to decide what suits you best.

The basics

Roadside assistance is probably the most basic cover that you can get, and the cheapest. If you break down, a mechanic will come out in a tow truck and try to fix your vehicle. If they can’t fix it on the roadside, they will tow you to the closest garage. However, the small print on roadside assistance usually states that if you’re close to home (a quarter of a mile away) then you’re on your own. This is the best cover to get if you have a reliable car and you don’t have anyone who relies on you too heavily to get them from A to B.

The better than basic

Up from roadside assistance is national recovery and home start. National recovery means that you and your passengers will get to where you’re going despite the breakdown, as well as getting your car to a garage. Home Start cover is where your car won’t start in your drive and a mechanic comes out to help you or get you to a garage. If you have had previous problems with your vehicle or it is verging on old, you should consider this cover. It is also important if you’re transporting other people around as their day and yours shouldn’t get too heavily disrupted.

The full package

 If you’re someone who lives on the road and relies heavily on your car to get you places then you may as well invest in the best breakdown cover available. Taking your breakdown cover to the next level means you should never get yourself into a sticky situation. In most cases, the highest form of breakdown cover includes car hire, overnight accommodation and any costs covered for any use of public transport.

Not buying at all

Not buying any breakdown cover at all is a risky business indeed. Unless you are in a brand new car that comes with a manufacturer’s cover, you need some sort of breakdown cover to stop yourself getting in a tangle. Paying for breakdown cover on the side of the road isn’t ideal – you can expect to pay higher fees than if you had secured membership in an emergency situation and there’s no guarantee you will get the attention you need quickly. It’s far more advisable to be organised and covered in advance.

Collaborative post by Benjamin Campbell

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