Motorists are being urged to give themselves the gift of breakdown cover this Christmas as new figures show the expense those without a policy are likely to face if they require roadside rescue.
Research by breakdown and recovery service StartRescue.co.uk, shows uncovered drivers will face an average bill of £250 to be recovered to the nearest services of garage.
However, the problems do not stop with just the unexpected cost. Trying to sort their own recovery from the side of the road could leave drivers at the mercy of unregistered and unregulated operators, many of whom are not CRB checked and do not have the appropriate insurance.
In addition, lack of a breakdown and recovery policy means rescued motorists will simply be dropped off at a garage, dealership or service station – even in the middle of the night – without help to secure emergency accommodation or to arrange onward travel.
When accommodation and onward travel are factored in, the price of breaking down at the side of the road without a policy in place could increase massively.
On roads managed by Highways England, Traffic Officers can recover vehicles to the nearest service station or safe place if they are causing an obstruction. This costs £150 but onward transportation of the vehicle must then be arranged at further cost. Storage charges will be applied for every day the vehicle is not collected and failure to pay can result in the vehicle being scrapped.
“A breakdown recovery policy may seem like an unnecessary luxury when everything’s running well but I guarantee you’ll be glad you have one if you ever find yourself stranded by the roadside,”said Ben Johnson, Director of Networks at StartRescue.co.uk.
“Trying to sort your own recovery from the roadside can be a nightmare before you even begin to factor in the costs involved and the risks associated with calling out unregistered and unscrupulous operators.”
