Breath easier with a breakdown cover

If you happen to have a mechanical failure that is significant enough to leave you stranded at your present location, well, I hope you have a breakdown cover insurance. 

This cover usually is provided by competing commercial service providers but in some areas there is a government-sponsored so you will not have to do a member subscription fee but it will be in the form of an insurance policy with premiums.

National automobile membership association offers this cover but it could also be available as part of your vehicle insurance company. Moreover automobile manufacturers offer it free for some period after the purchase of a new vehicle.

Why shall I get a breakdown cover?

If you are planning to travel around Europe this summer, you should have a breakdown cover just to be sure you take every possible precaution for your trip… You know how devastating and frustrating a car breakdown in an unfamiliar country could be? Not only would you waste time but also money! If you are not covered a car breakdown can cost you hundreds of pounds!
First of all, let us have a look at the most common benefits offered by this type of insurance:

• you have the right to receive free car roadside assistance;
• both the vehicle and the passengers are transported if the vehicle cannot be repaired roadside;
• someone goes and repairs your vehicle in your house if does not start in the morning;
• they give you a substitute car if they are unable to repair your vehicle;     
• you can choose whether being covered within the national borders or abroad too (if you travel a lot). 

How much does it cost?

On the web you can find information, reviews, top tips regarding the need to have assistance and the benefits of being insured. The cost of a breakdown cover is about £30-40 for a year's worth of basic cover, you will have an average response time between 30 and 40 minutes and single females and anyone else who feels vulnerable will have the priority.
Moreover, you can easily know the different options available on the market in order to decide which supplier you would like to visit thanks to some webistes that allow you to make a comparison between various insurance companies. Moneysupermarket.com (but there are many more) produced the results reported in the following table when I asked for a quotation of a breakdown cover.
First of all, they ask you to select select a number of possible optional services that might cope with your needs. They are:

1. National Cover: you and your vehicle will be taken to a garage if they are unable to fix your car roadside, but on the national territory.
2. European Cover: you are covered in Europe, normally up to 31 days per trip and 90 days per annum.
3. Onward Journey: if your car breakdown, not only will they repair it but they will also take you to your destination if they need more time to fix it or pay overnight accomodation.
4. Home Start: if your car breaks down within a mile radius of your home, you can get the assistance. Without this option you would be assisted over a one mile radius from your home.

I applied for a national cover, including assistance choosing the optional services of  home start and onward journey. Some of the following companies in some cases also charge a Policy Excess, that means an amount of money (£40.00) you have to pay if you make a claim.

Provider	Annual Premium	Local Recovery	National Cover	Onward Journey	Home Start	Personal Cover
	£24.90
	£28.80
	£28.85
	£32.00
	£33.90
	£35.40
	£42.50
	£42.99
	£42.99
	£49.00
	£55.43
	£66.00
	£130.00

As you can see, breakdown cover can be very cheap and in my opinion preventing your holidays from being spoiled by a car breakdown has no price! So… choose the best option.. get a breakdown car cover!!