Tow rope, jump leads...insulin
For most of us it is little more than annoying and time consuming when the car fails to start, but for diabetic Alison Taylor it could be fatal.
When her Renault Clio broke down in a supermarket car park this month, Alison was stranded without insulin. Fortunately, she had taken out breakdown cover when she insured her car through Churchill.
Alison, 28, from Cwmbran, Gwent, says: 'As soon as I contacted Churchill and explained the situation, they prioritised my call. A mechanic was with me in 30 minutes, which was quick for a Sunday afternoon.'
Wires running to the starter motor of her tenyearold car had corroded and after a quick repair Alison was able to drive home.
Alison, a personal assistant, says: 'I'd had no problems with the car for two years, then suddenly I had to call on Churchill three times in three months.'
The AA alone attended 3.6 million calls last year. Spokesman Gavin Hill-Smith, says: 'The three things we get called out for most are tyre problems, flat batteries, and drivers whose keys are either locked in the car or are not working.'
There is growing competition in the breakdown business. Newer providers such as Churchill and More Than are challenging the dominance of the RAC and AA, while Britannia Rescue, Britain's fourth-largest breakdown service, has just been bought by Liverpool Victoria, which plans to expand the business.
But before signing up, drivers must consider what type of cover they want. One option is to restrict it to a single nominated vehicle. More expensive is personal cover, which means you can call for help from any car you are travelling in.
Established operators charge all drivers the same price for the same level of cover, but newer entrants such as Churchill, Direct Line and More Than, use individual underwriting. Here, prices vary according to address, occupation, annual mileage and age of vehicle.
For example, the cost of Direct Line's mid-range Recovery plan on my nineyearold Volvo at a central London postcode is £86.10. But take the same car and driver and relocate to rural Leicestershire and the price falls to £78.75.
A final factor to consider is the kind of service you are most comfortable with. Some breakdown companies such as Green Flag and Britannia operate through a network of local independent garages, whereas the majority of AA and RAC calls are handled by their own patrol staff trained to a common standard.
Both approaches can deliver good results. The RAC topped a recent breakdown survey by research house JD Power reporting on the experiences of more than 3,000 motorists. Britannia was rated the best breakdown provider by consumer group Which?
Most watched Money videos
- BMW's Vision Neue Klasse X unveils its sports activity vehicle future
- Mini Cooper SE: The British icon gets an all-electric makeover
- How to invest for income and growth: SAINTS' James Dow
- MailOnline asks Lexie Limitless 5 quick fire EV road trip questions
- 'Now even better': Nissan Qashqai gets a facelift for 2024 version
- Tesla unveils new Model 3 Performance - it's the fastest ever!
- Skoda reveals Skoda Epiq as part of an all-electric car portfolio
- Mini celebrates the release of brand new all-electric car Mini Aceman
- 2025 Aston Martin DBX707: More luxury but comes with a higher price
- Land Rover unveil newest all-electric Range Rover SUV
- Blue Whale fund manager on the best of the Magnificent 7
- Mercedes has finally unveiled its new electric G-Class
- How these four private equity trusts could help you cash...
- BHP boss to meet his counterpart at takeover target Anglo...
- Jaguar Land Rover posts its biggest profit since 2015...
- MARKET REPORT: S4 Capital shares soar as Sir Martin...
- 86-year-old Peter's woes with a faulty smart meter that...
- ALEX BRUMMER: UK second to United States among G7 richest...
- Ikea pushes back opening of its Oxford Street store to...
- Footsie hits new high as economy roars back
- British Airways owner IAG set for bumper summer
- Should the Bank of England have cut interest rates...
- Households with emergency savings pots rises...
- My favourite 20 new cars for under £20,000 - by the...
- SMALL CAP MOVERS: Light Science Technologies sales flourish
- The government is asking motoring enthusiasts for help...
- Rightmove expects weaker ad revenue growth as more...
- BUSINESS LIVE: UK GDP grows 0.6%; IAG profits take off;...
- How criminals could use AI to scam Britons - and what can...
- BA owner IAG profits climb more than sevenfold