Motorway - Breaking Down

...you do a lot of motorway driving. No matter who you are and where you live, a car will breakdown at the most inconvenient time and leave you totally stranded, even the most reliable cars breakdown.
As a young apprentice mechanic running old bangers I wish I'd had breakdown cover then as my old bangers were always breaking down at the most awkward times & I had my fair share of them.
On my way to a first date all dressed up & the clutch ...
.../> Breaking down on a motorway is probably the most dangerous place of all due to the high speeds vehicle travels on these types of roads. If you are lucky enough to breakdown close to a hard shoulder you can at least get out of your car & walk to safe area to phone for help but if there is no hard shoulder & vehicles are screaming past at high speeds it can get scary. Never sit in your car waiting for help to come, it's nothing unusual to see a ... more

I often get asked, is breakdown cover worth having? My answer to that is very simply, yes, particularly if you do a lot of motorway driving. No matter who you are and where you live, a car will breakdown at the most inconvenient time and leave you totally stranded, even the most reliable cars breakdown.
As a young apprentice mechanic running old bangers I wish I'd had breakdown cover then as my old bangers were always breaking down at the most awkward times & I had my fair share of them.
On my way to a first date all dressed up & the clutch cable broke! Another car & another broken clutch cable this time on the main street in town at 5pm on double yellow lines & in a bus lane! A puncture at 4am in the morning in pouring rain, coming home from an important date! Oh, the joys of motoring!

Breaking down on a motorway is probably the most dangerous place of all due to the high speeds vehicle travels on these types of roads. If you are lucky enough to breakdown close to a hard shoulder you can at least get out of your car & walk to safe area to phone for help but if there is no hard shoulder & vehicles are screaming past at high speeds it can get scary. Never sit in your car waiting for help to come, it's nothing unusual to see a 40ton truck or an emergency vehicle driving down a hard shoulder for what ever reason & if they don't see you, the result can be catastrophic.
Luckily the traffic police are always on the look out for these situations & they can often direct traffic away form a dangerous situation until help arrives.

You cannot prevent a vehicle breaking down, but you can help yourself by ensuring you have sufficient fuel in your tank for your journey, that your tyres are legal & in good condition & by keeping your vehicle serviced & maintained.

What are the most common reasons for cars breaking down? Some are self inflicted such as losing keys, leaving lights on and flattening a battery and lack of servicing. From information supplied by the AA, the ten most common causes of breakdowns are as follows:

• Flat batteries, lights left on or just faulty batteries.
• Lost keys.
• Tyres, punctured or damage wheels.
• Alternators, not charging the batteries.
• Starter motors, not starting the vehicle.
• Distributor caps, faulty or water ingress.
• Fuel, running out or filling up with the wrong type of fuel.
• Clutch cables, breakages.
• Spark plugs, worn out, lack of servicing.
• Ignition high tension leads faulty.

Who provides the best breakdown cover? The best known breakdown services are provided by the AA and RAC, but other lesser known companies also provide national cover.
It really is a matter of shopping around to get the best deals and I have listed next, some companies who provide breakdown cover. This is not an exhaustive list. Most will offer a range of products from basic roadside assistance to top of the range polices that return you and your car home from anywhere in the UK. Some include home starts and caravan cover. The AA and RAC cover the individual whilst some only cover the car; the former means that if the husband is covered and uses his wife's car and it breaks down, then assistance is provided.

AA: The Automobile Association is the biggest breakdown assistance provider in the UK with around 4000 patrols. They offer basic cover from as little as £34.40 per year (66p a week) with a range of polices which also cover Europe for an extra charge.

RAC: Britain's second biggest breakdown assistance provider, the Royal Automobile Club has around 2000 patrols and offers cover from just under £33.00 a year (63p a week).

Green Flag: Green Flag provides basic breakdown assistance from £25.00 a year (48p a week) and offers a 'no call out discount' for the following year if you don't breakdown. This rewards the drivers who service their vehicles regularly or who drive reliable makes.

ETA: The Environmental Transport Association will provide cover from £23.00 per year (44p a week) and are aimed at the more environmental aware car owner.

Churchill: This company states that if they don't get to you within one hour of calling they will refund you £10.00. Basic cover starts at £33.00 per year (63p a week).

More Than: More Than have around 3500 recovery crews availabe to them and basic cover starts at £31.00 per year (59p per week).

GEM: Annual fee start from £46.35 a year (89p a week)

Check out www.breakdowncoveruk.co.uk for comparisons

All these breakdown providers will offer discounts if you book on-line, however should you decide to enrol at the time you breakdown, you are unlikely to receive any discounts.

So what do you get for your money? Should you breakdown they will come to your assistance as quickly as possible. If you are a woman on your own in a strange area & at night, tell them & they will usually make it a priority to help you, otherwise you can wait up to 75 minutes for assistance.

Some companies won't help you if you have broken down at home so it's best to check when you sign up for a policy if a home service is available, often you pay extra for that.

Incidentally the big companies often sub contract the work out to local garages so don't always expect a yellow AA van or blue & white RAC van to arrive. Once the arrive they will try & rectify the problem there & then, sometimes just a temporary repair to get you going & sometimes a permanent repair. However, there are many occasions when they have no option but to uplift your vehicle to the nearest garage & there after you will have to pay the garage for the repair.

If you have broken down many miles from home, many companies will uplift your vehicle & take it & you home, no matter where about in the country you live. It is best to check first before buying a policy what the company offers in this situation.

For cover in Europe you need to pay a little extra & once again check what they offer, I do know some companies will uplift & take a car back to the UK if necessary.

Even with good breakdown cover it still best to be prepared for something going wrong. In the boot of the car I would recommend carrying the following items;

• Jack (supplied with the vehicle)
• Extendable wheel brace (standard ones aren't long enough)
• Reversible screwdriver (for changing bulbs)
• Tyre inflator (works off the cigar lighter socket)
• Warning triangle
• Bulb kit (a legal requirement in some countries)
• Fan belt (or belts, if more than one is fitted)
• Torch
• Latex gloves
• Petrol can (a must for long journeys)
• Reflective jacket or waistcoat (a legal requirement in Italy)

I don't know how to change a fan belt so why carry one? Even if you are a member of the breakdown services, if your belt should break they still need to obtain one to get you going again. In the early hours of Sunday morning your choice of places selling fan belts is rather limited. Carrying a spare one can save time, and they don't cost much in the first place. Incidentally the theory that a ladies stocking or tights will be a temporary fix for broken fan belt no longer works on a modern car.

What about battery leads and a tow rope? I have deliberately left them off the list; sometimes in the wrong hands they can cause many problems. Some modern cars won't take a jump start from another vehicle without damaging major electrical components such as ECU's. If you use a modern car to jump your car the power surge make spike one or more of the ECU's in one or both vehicles leaving you a nasty bill for the replacements.
Tow starting a modern car may cause unburnt fuel to pass through the catalytic converter which in turn will destroy it, causing you another hefty bill to replace it. A tow rope is fine for getting you out of a dangerous situation but do not try and tow start a modern vehicle with one.

If you travel abroad, check first the requirements of each individual country as many expect you to carry anything from a first aid kit to a reflective jacket. 

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