Breakdown Cover

Any one that owns and drives a car is recommended to obtain some form of breakdown cover. After all the last thing that anyone wants is to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in a car that will not drive!

There are many companies that offer breakdown cover for your car; banks are even introducing it alongside their benefit packages. Because of this, there are a huge number of companies to compare the breakdown covers and prices with. Although first you must decide which cover you actually want or will need.

There are a few different types of breakdown cover available such as Home Start, Relay and Relay Plus.

HOME START – This cover is an optional extra alongside the normal Roadside Assistance that is available but only to those individuals who have paid the extra Home Start subscription fee at least 24 hours prior to the breakdown or accident happening. This Home Start will provide entry for assistance when the car is immobilised after a breakdown or accident either at the Member's Home Address or within 1/4 of a mile of it.

If, after the breakdown, a quick local repair is not possible, the car would be taken to the breakdown companies choice of suitable local repairer or, otherwise, to a place of the car owners choice, although this must not be any further away. It is then the car owners’ liability to tell the repairer to make the required repairs. Any repair contract will be between the driver and the repairer, and it is the drivers’ responsibility to pay them.

RELAY – This is also an optional extra to the general Roadside Assistance and is available only to those people who have paid the extra Relay subscription fees at least 24 hours prior to the breakdown happening. Relay is offered if the Vehicle is immobilised on a motorway after a breakdown at over a quarter of a mile away from the Member's Home Address and the car cannot be repaired.

Relay will provide the recovery of the Vehicle, as well as the driver and up to 7 passengers to one destination of their choice in the UK or in Northern Ireland. If there are more than seven people that need transportation, then most recovery companies will arrange for their transportation, although they will not pay for it.

There are however, a few things that will not be covered with the Relay breakdown cover such as the recovery of a vehicle which is thought to be dangerous; the recovery of a vehicle which is actually at or within 1/4 mile from the Member's Home Address; a second or following Relay, subsequent to the vehicle being recovered after a breakdown; the transport of any immobilised vehicles if they are part of a commercial action, for instance, to, from or for a motor dealer/delivery company; the transportation of cars that are used for racing, trials, time trials or rallying and other motor sports events; help after a breakdown/accident that is attended by the police and other emergency services, until they have authorised the removal of the vehicle. If the police/emergency service insists on the immediate recovery from a third party, this cost must be paid by the car owner; any incidental fees that could occur during the recovery; the recovery of a vehicle which has trade plates; the recovery of any horses or livestock; Ferry costs;

RELAY PLUS – This is available only when the car owner has the Relay entitlement and has paid for the extra Relay Plus subscription at least 24 hours prior to the breakdown happening. It is available if the car is immobilised on the motorway more than 1/4 mile from the breakdown Member's Home Address after a breakdown and the breakdown company cannot arrange for a local repair after a reasonable time. When the breakdown company has authorised the Relay Plus the member can pick from a couple of benefits such as overnight accommodation (the breakdown company will pay for a single night's bed & breakfast for the driver and any passenger up to the maximum of seven passengers), a replacement vehicle (the company will arrange and pay for a replacement saloon/hatchback style car up to 1,600cc, including insurance, for a period of up to 48 hours) or the cost of public transport (the breakdown company will pay back any rational public transport costs for the driver and up to a seven passengers).

Relay Plus however, is not available after a breakdown at the members’ home address or within 1/4 of a mile of it.