Car Breakdown Cover

The Importance of Breakdown Cover Abroad

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:12:31 +0000

The road trip is becoming an increasingly popular holiday choice for an increasing number of people thanks to television programmes such as Top Gear and Ewan McGregor’s ‘Long Way Round’ which have romanticised the concept of taking to the open road in a vehicle.

While this type of holiday does allow you to explore regions and get to know cultures better than other types of holiday could ever get close to, people often forget the strain that this places on their vehicles which makes breakdowns an ever present threat.

People do not realise the impact that breakdowns can have on holidays; not only meaning that holiday makers are inconvenienced but also potentially handing them a huge unexpected financial burden which could cut short their vacation.

Breakdown cover policies
A basic Breakdown cover policy is designed to offer policy holders protection within the bounds of their own nation. Providing cover in foreign countries is not automatically offered as the provider may not have a presence in that country themselves and will likely have to enlist the services of a partner to offer a similar level of service which is not financially sustainable.

However, the majority of breakdown cover providers will offer a limited number of days cover in foreign countries as standard. The word majority must be emphasised, because this will not be the case with all providers, and it is therefore recommended that you check your policy details before deciding whether or not additional cover is needed for when you enter another country. Even if this is on offer, there is still a good chance that the number of days cover provided will not be enough to protect you throughout the duration of your vacation.

Why is European breakdown cover important?
Breaking down abroad has the potential to completely ruin your holiday. Not only do you have to locate a garage in a foreign land, but you may also have to converse in a language in which you will not be fluent. Added to this the question marks over the service that will be provided, the expense involved in arranging for a tow to the garage not to mention the cost of actually fixing the fault and the money that you set aside for your vacation may quickly begin to run out.

When you consider that you can get protection from as little as £4.99 for comprehensive cover when driving in France; running the risk of ruining your holiday with a potentially costly breakdown simply doesn’t make sense. European breakdown cover will guarantee that your car gets repaired at the side of the road, a nearby garage or even brought back to the UK if the repair work required is too substantial.

Not only does this have the potential to save you bucket full of cash, but it also provides you with peace of mind as you know that help is just a phone call away.

Get the right deal for you
Although European breakdown cover policies will ordinarily cost more than conventional UK-based cover, there is certainly a case for suggesting that it is worth paying a little but more in order to make sure that you are getting the right level of cover to meet your requirements.

The key thing to remember is that the cheapest deal is not always the best value for money. This is even true when comparing different European breakdown cover packages; with some providers placing different caps on the amount that they are willing to contribute towards the costs of any repairs. It is therefore recommended that you compare deals with multiple providers in order to make sure that you are getting the best deal for your specific needs.

Breakdown Car cover

admin — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:39:54 +0000

Although many car owners take out car breakdown cover late in the year in preparation for the winter months ahead,– do not forget that — cars also breakdown during summer months. There really is not a “best time” to join. It would be worthwhile examing “now” what the main firms are offering in their standard of cover and price — and then take out an annual policy.

Levels of Cover

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:08:40 +0000

Joining one of the major car breakdown groups, including the AA and RAC is certainly money well spent, as they will be available and ready to help when you most need them. There are probably times when you feel that your annual membership payment could be spent on other needs, but that would be a false economy because having breakdown cover gives you the satisfaction of knowing that when car problems arise–which happens to most cars at sometime, there will be assistance available. This site gives details about the various levels of breakdown cover available and there is also information about additional services such as “Insurance Cover” which can be arranged through.the various automobile groups- approved insurers

Avoiding a summer holiday breakdown

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:28:50 +0000

If you are organising a summer holiday this year and are planning on using your car heavily during it here are a few things to think about before you hit the road.

One thing that can often lead to a car breakdown is over loading your vehicle. Luggage plus 4 or 5 people can put extra strain on the engine.

Some other things to think about before setting off are:

Have you checked you oil levels?

Also have a quick check you make sure all your lights are working.

Plus check your windscreen and radiator water levels

Finally check the condition of your battery.

If you are at all concerned about breaking down while you are away then this website is full of information about car breakdown cover.

You can cover your car from as litle as £29 per year with the AA and £34 with the RAC.

Winter car emergency kit

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:23:37 +0000

A car breakdown or accident can be made far worse in the colder winter months, however a few relatively inexpensive items packed in your car will make any kind of breakdown situation far easier.

The following information has been broken down into 3 sections - get help, stating safe & keeping warm.

Get help
It goes without saying that car breakdown cover is invaluable, for further details off AA cover & RAC cover follow the links.

If you carry a mobile phone, it is wise to make sure that you carry an in car charger with you which can be purchased relatively cheaply from eBay.

Staying safe
If the weather is extremely bad it is essential that you make other drivers aware of you. If your car does not come with a hazard triangle it is worth carrying one in your car boot.

A first aid kit is also essential, many new cars come with one as standard, if yours doesn’t they can be purchased for around £10.

Don’t rely on your cars lighting in an accident buy a torch. If you don’t have one buy an LED torch which uses far less power than a traditional torch.

Stay warm
It is wise to carry additional clothes or a blanket in case you breakdown. Depending on where you suffer the breakdown you will most likely be needing additional warmth as the safest place to wait for emergency services is outside your car.

AA Membership Extras

admin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:50:36 +0000

If you are a member of the AA car breakdown cover service there are quite a number of additional extra benefits that you receive once you are a member.%

This includes 15% off avis car hire, 33% off MOT’s at Nationwide Autocentre & 20$ off parking booked through Holiday Extras. Additional benefits are being added all the time so it is worth checking out.

If you want o read more about the AA car breakdown cover service click the banner below.

Winter car essentials

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:10:26 +0000

In the winter it is especially to make sure they you are prepared for all eventualities each time you are out driving, in the colder months there are more accidents and car breakdowns.

Here is a checklist of things to make sure you have in your car.

Scraper & de-icer - if the temperature drops your windows will freeze up.
Shovel - to dig your way out of trouble in snow.
A Mat or section of old carpet - you can put this under the wheels for extra traction.
Extra clothes - if you breakdown and it is cold you will be glad for some extra warmth.

Staying safe if your car breaks down

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:15:55 +0000

If your suffer a car breakdown it can be a stressful experience but also a dangerous one too. Each year it is estimated that hundreds of people lose their life or suffer an injury while stopped at the roadside or motorway hard shoulder.

If your car breaks down on the roadside then it is advised you do the following:

If possible try to avoid stopping in a dangerous place like a roundabout, the corner of a road or the brow of a hill and if you can keep driving but at a very slow speed with your hazard lights on and try to pull off the road completely.

If you have no alternative but to stop on the road make sure you have an emergency triangle and that it us displayed at least 45 meters behind your vehicle.

If you do breakdown on a road don’t try and and fix the vehicle yourself, call your car breakdown service.

Similarly if you are envolved in a crash which blocks a road or there are serious injuries call the emergency services immediately.

Assistance When You Need It

admin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:58:45 +0000

It`s always a great comfort as you drive and see a friendly RAC or AA breakdown vehicle either parked at the side of the road or in some other prominent position. You know that it`s driver is waiting for an instruction to proceed to a destination either far away or close at hand, to assist one of their clients who has had the misfortune of being involved in a vehicle breakdown. You should perhaps consider joining one of the several UK groups which offer this service.

Full details for comparison purposes, showing the levels of services offered by the car breakdown groups is included in the web site.

The need for breakdown cover

admin — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:31:22 +0000

Particularly at this time when everyone needs to be sure that they are spending money on essential items, sometimes taking out car breakdown cover is not always considered as being very high on that list, however such reasoning can be a wrong and costly decision.

If for example, you do not have such cover and at some time the need arises when you require your vehicle to be–towed– because of a breakdown, you are likely to be very surprised and even shocked regarding the high cost of arranging a tow from many Garages. You may therefore find it useful to look at our web site and compare the car breakdown cover available from the RAC, the AA and other national bodies.