Breakdown Cover Articles

Car breakdown cover is not just mechanical

With the worst of the UK winter behind us and motorists now capable of making longer journeys than they were doing a few months ago, once again the extent of the damage of snow , rain and ice have caused to roads in Britain are being felt by drivers up and down the country.

With a third tougher than average winter gradually drawing to a close, the increased numbers of potholes on the roads is almost reaching epidemic proportions, with the problem being especially bad in the North of England and Scotland. These potholes can open up without warning, as the road surface seems untouched but all the earth and gravel underneath the asphalt may have been washed away gradually over the winter, till the road can no longer carry the weight of the cars passing over it, and suddenly gives way.

This is an occurrence that not even the most experienced driver can govern for and it can virtually happen to anybody. So if there is nothing that can be really done to prevent it, what should a driver do if they are unfortunate enough to fall into a pot hole? While there have been cases, till now not in the UK, where the pot hole was deep enough that it swallowed an entire private car, in most cases the car bounces into the hole and thanks to its strong suspension bounces back out again. Once the driver regains control of their car, irrespective of whether they feel that no serious damage was done, they should stop by the side of the road, wherever it is safe, and after calming themselves down, take a good look at their car to check for signs of underbody damage, particularly to the steering and the tires. If the steering is heavy or pulling to the side they should immediately park their car and come to terms with the fact that their journey cannot continue till the car has been repaired.

What a lot of drivers are unaware of is that underbody damage is covered if they have taken out car breakdown insurance. Most drivers mistakenly assume that breakdown insurance covers mechanical problems only. It's nice to know that if you are one of the unfortunate few where the road falls away before you, there is a friendly face that will help out of the hole you got yourself into.

< back