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Money Weekly Home > Breakdown cover
On the verge of a breakdown
by
Sarah Modlock
29 March 2005
OK, I admit it; I cannot change a car tyre. But I'm not alone. Almost half of drivers questioned in a recent survey by Saga ‘fessed up the same thing. Not really good enough though, is it? However, I do check tyres, oil and water and replace bulbs (again, almost half of drivers haven't a clue about these things). But if my car went kaput I would be dependent on roadside recovery for help.
Perhaps it's a sign of the times that many drivers would not even try to establish the cause of the problem before calling a man in a van to fix it. 'For those who don't want to get their hands dirty, having a reliable breakdown service is a must,' comments Saga's Michael Cutbill. Too true - why spoil a perfectly good manicure? But we are wasting a serious amount of time and money by failing to maintain the basic needs of our cars or shop around for the right breakdown cover.
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Motorists would rather speak in public, attend a job interview or visit the dentist than spend time stranded on the roadside requiring assistance according to Norwich Union's 'Rescue Report' which polled more than 600 drivers.
But it's so easy to avoid. While AA patrols fix around eight out of 10 vehicles, many of the 4 million breakdowns they attend each year are caused by motorists failing to make simple mechanical checks which could keep their cars on the road. Among all sorts of horrors, their research reveals that just 9% of drivers know that the legal minimum tyre tread is 1.6mm and most of us assume that cars will just run and run in between services. Frankly, unless you've got a thing for men in uniform with oily hands (OK, I'll admit that, too) then prevention is better than cure.
Bumper choice
The car breakdown recovery industry is worth about £1.5bn and represents more than 20 million vehicles. The last time Which? magazine carried out an assessment on the industry was at the end of 2002. It found that the AA outperformed its competitors in almost every way, with the RAC in second place. The AA was the most likely service to arrive within half an hour, reaching 53% of breakdowns within this time. More recently, the JD Power UK Road Assistance Customer Satisfaction Study showed that the RAC scored top.
But those two giants no longer have the industry all to themselves. The likes of Green Flag, Admiral, Direct Line and Tesco are just a few of the other successful entrants to the business.
Research from Insuresupermarket.com shows that the cost of comprehensive breakdown cover can vary from £28 to £199 per year. But what you get for your money can vary enormously so it's worth spending a little time choosing the right package – the cheapest may not be best. You could find yourself towed to a garage and handed a big bill before anyone even looks under your car bonnet.
There are four main types of roadside assistance. Generally speaking, 'recovery' will rescue you and your car in the event of a breakdown. 'Roadside assistance' provides a repair service at the site of your breakdown or will tow you to the nearest garage. Comprehensive cover will usually include roadside assistance and offer to take you, your car and up to five passengers anywhere in the UK (Dorset is very nice at this time of year). Finally, 'total protection' offers the highest level of cover and will usually include repairing your car at home if it fails to start. If you are heading to Europe, you will need to check whether cover is included.
Most breakdown services give priority to families and to women travelling alone. Well, that's one way to meet men who are good with their hands. But drivers should consider asking these key questions when buying cover:
- What is the average callout time?
- Will you try and fix my car at the roadside first?
- Will you take me home or to the destination I was heading before breaking down?
- Does this policy include home starts?
- Is there a limit on the number of times I can call each year?
- Do you offer a no-claims discount?
- Can I cover additional cars?
- Can I cover my partner and/or family members?
- Will I be covered if I'm the passenger in another car?
- Will I be charged additional fees for any of the services provided?
- Am I covered for driving abroad?
Rescue me
Apparently, Angelina Jolie and David Beckham - both renowned for their expertise with internal combustion engines - are among the celebrities most drivers would want to be rescued by if they break down, say Tesco Breakdown Cover. Men's faith in women's roadside skills even extends to Cat Deeley and Kelly Brook, while women would opt for Michael Schumacher if they couldn't get Becks. I guess that means the women would get home quicker but the men wouldn't care anyway.
Back in the real world, the survey also reveals that almost half of all women would call their partner for advice before they even consider calling a breakdown service provider. And no matter how old they are, one in 10 women call their fathers for help.
It's true. Location permitting, the first call on my speed dial (apart from the 'man in uniform') would be to my father who can fix just about anything. Good old Dad also researches and buys my car breakdown cover every year as a Christmas present. OK, so it's not the most exciting gift in the world (he balances it out with a Vogue subscription for my birthday) but I wouldn't leave home without it. Now I just need him to show me how to change a tyre.
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