About Breakdown Cover

Breakdown insurance covers a variety of vehicles, including cars, vans and motorbikes, and typically provides services such as roadside assistance, loan vehicles/alternative transport for where you need to go, and can help pay for or subsidise overnight accommodation near the vicinity of your breakdown or your intended destination. Basic roadside assistance will usually take place anywhere on the road in the UK outside a quarter mile radius of your home - additional cover providing support and assistance should you break down on your driveway can usually be added to a policy for a small additional fee.

Breakdown insurance is typically split into two different policies providing either vehicle cover or driver cover. Vehicle cover protects the vehicle itself as opposed to the driver, so repairs can be made regardless of who was at the wheel in the event of an accident. Personal cover is useful for drivers with multiple vehicles - if for example, you drive a van for work and a car for personal journeys, then a personal cover plan will ensure you for any of your vehicles which you are driving.

Personal cover means you're insured as the driver or passenger of any vehicle, although it is usually more expensive than vehicle cover. Roadside support policies can be extended to provide cover for journeys abroad, which is also often available with certain Travel Insurance plans.

Breakdown cover can be combined with other forms of vehicle insurance - insurers providing roadside assistance will usually offer insurance for that vehicle, car, van or motorcycle, for a discounted price.