RoadsideRoadside assistance only
£45
per year
£4
per month
Response time: Typically under 60 mins
Vehicles covered: 1 named vehicle
First year discount for new customers
Free, quick comparison
Compare breakdown cover
Compare UK breakdown cover from roadside-only to home start and European cover, so you're never stranded without help when your car won't start.
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Roadside
RoadsideBasic roadside rescue
£49
per year
£4.50
per month
Response time: Typically under 60 mins
Vehicles covered: 1 named vehicle
Quotes sorted by indicative annual premium (low to high)
Prices shown are indicative UK market rates for comparison only. Your actual premium will depend on your vehicle, driving history, location and cover level.
What is breakdown cover and do you need it?
Breakdown cover provides roadside assistance, and often home start and onward travel, if your vehicle fails to start or breaks down on a journey. It is not a legal requirement, but most drivers find the cost worthwhile against the price of a private recovery truck.
Cover ranges from basic roadside-only assistance to comprehensive packages including home start, national recovery to a garage of your choice, and European breakdown cover for driving abroad.
What are the benefits of breakdown cover?
Peace of mind on every journey
Help is available at any time, day or night, wherever you break down in the UK.
Avoids expensive private recovery
A single call-out from an independent recovery firm can cost several hundred pounds without cover.
Covers the person, not just the car
Many policies cover you as a driver in any car, including borrowed and hire vehicles.
What does breakdown cover include?
Roadside assistance
A patrol attends and attempts to fix the fault at the roadside.
National recovery
Towing to a garage or home anywhere in the UK if it can't be fixed roadside.
Home start
Assistance if your car won't start at your home address.
24/7 support
Call-out lines staffed around the clock, every day of the year.
Onward travel
Alternative transport, overnight accommodation or a hire car after a breakdown.
European cover
Assistance and recovery while driving in the EU, usually as an add-on.
How does breakdown cover work?
You call the provider's 24-hour breakdown line, give your location and describe the fault, and a patrol is dispatched to attempt a roadside fix.
If the vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside, it's towed to a garage or your home address under national recovery cover.
Cover can be attached to a specific vehicle, so anyone driving it is covered, or to a named person, so they're covered in any car they drive or are a passenger in.
What level of breakdown cover do you need?
Roadside-only cover suits drivers who mainly make short local journeys and have someone nearby who could collect them if recovery to home were needed.
Home start is worth adding for anyone who has been caught out by a car that won't start on the drive, and European cover is essential if you're taking your car abroad.
How to choose a breakdown cover provider
Compare cover per vehicle against cover per person — the right choice depends on whether you drive one car or several. Check the maximum recovery distance and how many call-outs are included, as some policies cap the number per year.
How to save money on breakdown cover
Paying annually rather than monthly, choosing roadside-only if you rarely have starting problems at home, and adding it to a joint car insurance and breakdown bundle with the same insurer can all bring the cost down.
Related guides
These guides might help.
How your postcode affects your premium
Why two identical drivers a mile apart can pay very different amounts for cover.
No claims bonus explained
How to protect it, transfer it between insurers, and what it's really worth over time.
Black box insurance: is it worth it?
How telematics policies are scored, and who genuinely saves money using one.
FAQs
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Written by the Grow Your Business insurance team