Breakdown Cover Articles

A History of Car Breakdown Cover Insurance in UK

It seems strange to think that around one hundred years ago there were already cars on British Roads. Not that many, but enough to justify the founding of the first breakdown recovery service.

As you would expect the first car breakdown service in the UK, if not the World, was formed way back in 1897, was known as the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) and remains today one of the Britain’s leading recovery companies It was more than likely that in these times, the RAC was a club in all meanings of the word, and they sent our volunteers who knew something of how the internal combustion engined operated to help one of the few people who owned one of these new fangled and noisy “horseless carriages” who had experienced some form of mechanical problem.

The UK public, especially in the early days, were keen supporters of car breakdown insurance , and a few years later became popular to the mainstream of the UK public is pretty vague. Certainly the Automobile Association followed suit a few years later and together till well into the nineteen seventies, these two venerable British organisations held a virtual monopoly on car breakdown insurance in Great Britain. After World War Two, private cars became increasingly more popular and it was only a matter of time before other companies began to offer car breakdown insurance services.

This means that not only is there loads of competition, which could only be healthy for the UK motorist. Not only that, but nowadays there are a few types of car breakdown insurance covers to consider. Roadside assistance, long distance recovery, no call out charges, local vehicle recovery is to be expected as well as a number of options if your car cannot be repaired on site. There are a number of companies who are even offering a car hire/courtesy car service that will keep you mobile till your own car gets back on the road.

If you have ever had your car break down, especially far away from home, then you will know just how frustrating it can be. Just remember that you are not alone, and UK motorists have been experiencing similar problems for more than a hundred years now.

Covering yourself from the inconvenience and time wasted when your car breaks down should be a must. History has proven it be so.

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