Car and Motorbike Breakdown Cover Crucial as Winter Approaches
Now that we are well into autumn, all motorists would do well to consider getting some form of breakdown recovery cover. As many of us will already know, car and motorbike breakdown cover plans can be a real life saver if the unthinkable happens and you find yourself stranded by the roadside. Never is this truer than during the winter months, when breakdowns are most likely to happen and few of us can afford to foot the bill for roadside assistance.
There are a number of common causes of winter breakdowns, but by far the most likely to affect you is a battery failure. Battery failures are a problem all year round but there are a few winter-specific issues that make these even more probable during the coldest part of the year.
The first is that battery power output drops in the cold. Likewise the ability of a cold battery to absorb charge is significantly lower than the ability of a warm battery; you will notice that your battery recharges slower during the cold winter months. If you have ever seen a dead battery suddenly spring to life after a brief stint in the airing cupboard or on top of the boiler (neither is advisable), you will already be familiar with the heat contingent properties of battery charge.
Additional strain on car and motorbike batteries is also caused by an increase in electrical load. Because many of the electrical components of a car or bike (e.g. lights) are used more in the winter, the battery has far more work to do – and if it is already beginning to show the signs of age, winter could be its death knell.
Mechanical and electrical failures are another major cause of winter breakdowns. Neither mechanical nor electrical systems function as well in the cold as they do in warm weather. Although systems designed specifically for use in cold countries will tend to far better than those designed for use in warm countries, there is only so much manufacturers can do to ensure your system continues to function in the cold. If your motorbike or car is getting a little long in the tooth then you will find electrical and mechanical failures more likely.
If you are not already covered in the event of a breakdown, do not panic and rush into a deal without first assessing your options. There are a multitude of different companies that offer breakdown recovery services and some of these will be better than others – likewise some will be cheaper than others. It is crucial to check the specific terms of a plan before you sign up to it – some will offer a valuable tow home service whilst others will not. Some plans will also offer you a complementary car or alternative onward travel arrangements, but you are likely to pay a premium for these services. Compare breakdown cover across all major providers and plans before you arrive at your decision.
Young Yorkshire Drivers Are Unable to Find Best Breakdown Cover
Young drivers in Yorkshire are finding it increasingly difficult to find affordable car insurance policies simply thanks to their postcode.
Premiums in Bradford East are amongst the highest in the country, and young people are particularly feeling the strain. Leah Greaves passed her driving test three months ago but is unable to find insurance that she can afford. The best breakdown cover quotation she could find for an old Corsa was £4,000, and one company quoted her £53,000.
So what can be done about the ever increasing cost of breakdown recovery for those in the Bradford area? Liberal Democrat MP David Ward is to present a wishlist of proposals to the Government based on a survey he has undertaken. He has also set up an online petition demanding more affordable cover, tougher policing of uninsured drivers and tighter regulations on claims companies. The petition will be presented to the Department for Transport.
Mr Ward’s survey attracted a fair amount of attention, with 1,000 constituents replying. The results showed that annual premiums had risen by 63 per cent on average since 2009, and that some areas were simply deemed as uninsurable by many insurance companies.
“For young people in particular, it can cost them a job. A young driver may not apply for a position if they have to travel to Halifax or Leeds and cannot insure their vehicle affordably” says the MP.
But it isn’t just young people who are spending hours attempting to compare breakdown cover in order to find something within their price range. Some motorists had struggled to find insurance despite having gone 30 years without making a claim. They were suffering simply because they had a Bradford postcode.
An ABI spokesman has stated that “Sadly, young drivers are 10 times more likely to be killed or seriously hurt on the road. The best way to reduce their insurance premiums is to make them safer drivers.” His suggestion is that the Government needs to “change the way people learn to drive, through a graduated licence scheme, where people get to drive at night or in different conditions.”
Quick tips for making an intelligent breakdown cover comparison
There are several tips to know when purchasing breakdown cover. The first easy to follow tip is to always compare breakdown cover prices and features. Very often you are paying for features you do not need. For example why sign up for tow home from a distance protection if your car never travels more than 30 kilometres from home. In contrast, you don’t want to leave off important cover features you may need such as home start service for the frosty days when your battery decides to fail. A simple and quick breakdown cover comparison will help you make sure you are not paying for service you don’t need and be certain that your cover premium includes those features you require.
Another great tip is to not sign up for auto-renewal. Almost every cover company runs special sign up promotions at discounts of at least 25%. You won’t get these if you auto-renew. Make the cover company treat you as well as a new prospect.
A final tip is to always purchase your car or motorbike breakdown cover online. Almost every UK breakdown cover company offers a substantial discount for buyers who sign up online. While some companies such as Green Flag Breakdown do not offer an online discount such as the almost 35% offered by RAC, they make up for this shortfall by having lower prices overall and giving more features for less cost.
Compare Breakdown Cover – How to Make a Good Comparison
There are several aspects to breakdown cover that constitute the basic rules for comparison and buying. The first rule when you compare breakdown cover is to be aware that the basic level packages can vary greatly. Where one company might include home start in their base package another company may not. And where some companies will tow your car back to your home, others will only bring your car to one of their affiliate garages. Presumably, this is done so that the proprietor can get a shot at your repair job.
Rule number two is that in most cases the Tow Company is also the local garage. All of the United Kingdom’s largest roadside assistance companies contract out the majority of their towing and roadside assistance to local garages. These garages make a pittance on the actual towing but hope to profit greatly from the incoming repair of a stranded motorist.
The most important rule to be aware of when choosing breakdown cover is that you may purchase cover based on either yourself in any vehicle or on any vehicle with any driver. Because breakdown cover prices are somewhat based upon vehicle age it is often cheaper to choose cover aimed at your person, not your car. But if you have a household with many different drivers in it you will be better off to purchase cover based specifically for each vehicle.
When you compare breakdown cover, the price varies among all of the largest breakdown cover companies in the UK. While RAC might appear lower priced than AA their service may offer less with the basic package. A company such as Green Flag Breakdown may be less well known but probably contracts with the very same garages to render assistance as does AA. The whole key to breakdown cover buying is to study all of the options available. Review and compare all of the levels of breakdown cover available with an eye to price for included service.