After the U.K. Government got on top of the problem of widespread drink driving, when a coupe of pints and a chaser seemed necessary to cope with the rigours of the Hammersmith gyratory, the issue of speed came next in their sights.

Speed is unlikely to be at the uppermost of your mind when it comes to comparing rescue and recovery services, but is a hot topic of conversation amongst motorists.

Of course, one of the most controversial measures the government undertook to combat the speed problem was to introduce speed cameras on sections of road that before were formerly patrolled by policemen hiding behind hedges. But now most policemen are back at base filling out urgent paperwork, speed cameras took their place.

And speed camera technology has improved so much (the guy will soon no longer even have to change the film, as it will be digitally relayed to the tax office, oops, sorry, police station), it will be even easier to catch speeders.

But motorists don’t like speed cameras who see them for what they really are: revenue generators. They have become just another government stealth tax and this is what really annoys the average motorist. Many strongly argue that their use is not motivated by high principles of road safety but rather is motivated by needing to supplement the tax coffers. If money is not the issue, many argue, then why not just do away with the fines and just dish out the points instead? And few really appreciated the Government’s insistence that speed cameras are their for safety reasons and to prove it, they should be painted in bright colours and not hidden by road signs.

At over £3,000 apiece, the average camera needs paying for of course, but the millions raised by catching speeders pays for their purchase and operation many, many times over.

And, as stated before, although this hot potato is not an issue when it comes to car insurance breakdown cover, every driver finds it irksome, if not downright annoying. Take the average built-up area which means that its perfectly possible to go driving for about ten minutes and get enough points for speeding to be banned for a year.

It is the speed camera’s lack of emotion that really annoys. You cannot plead with it, hope it’s in a good mood, crack a few jokes and hope it’s near the end its shift. If it’s operating and you are speeding, then you are done. And then try arguing in court that there was no-one you were going sixty behind the milk float.

So, when it comes to car breakdown cover UK, the question of speed is not going to arise, but it will fill most of your waking thoughts as you drive around the roads of Britain. And of course, you can’t help thinking that if the government were really serious about speed, then they would tell the manufacturers to fit 50 mph speed limiters onto every vehicle. It’s mechanically perfectly possible to stop a car going above 50 mph (BMWs already do it, but that’s to stop you going above 150 mph), but that is surely the option, if the Government is truly serious about cutting down on speed and road deaths.

But how long would a Government last if it did that? About ten minutes.

Tags: AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Car Breakdown, Speed

The global economic downturn has had a major effect upon the car market and indeed, buying habits.

Anyone listening to the news for the last few months would know the effect that the recession is having upon the car industry. General Motors nearly went under and some of the world’s major brand names are looking for handouts.

When the recession hit the world, people stopped buying cars. It was that simple.

But for anyone who wants to compare car breakdown cover between the AA, RAC and Green Flag, it’s doubtful whether the already competitive plans on offer will be reduced anymore, for the simple fact that people are now keeping their cars longer.

Whereas two years might be a quite usual time to swap a car for a new, or newer model (pretty straightforward when there was plenty of cheap credit around), people are now thinking of keeping their car an extra year, if not two years.

The has been necessitated by not only a drop in people’s disposable income, but also by fear of job losses, salary reductions and fewer personal loans.

So, people have opted to keep their cars that bit longer and make sure that there car breakdown service is kept up to date.

So, ironically, although the new car market has effectively collapsed, the second hand car market has strengthened.

Those still with jobs and money can achieve some amazing new car deals – such as a reported 40% reduction on new Vauxhalls – which makes the Government scrappage scheme look a little flaky of course, but most people are looking for good second hand cars.

Those around two years old, with a full service history and in good condition, are attracting good prices. It is these that drivers hope that will mean less problems when it comes to car insurance breakdown cover.

Also in demand are cars that are meagre in fuel consumption terms and ones that have low emissions. It would appear that in Europe, and increasingly across the pond in the U.S., that ‘gas guzzlers’ are going to become a thing of the past.

And another beneficiary of this decision to turn away from the new car market is the parts business. Tyre fitters for example are doing a roaring trade as people who keep their cars longer, are forced to keep their tyres in good condition.

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Car Breakdowns, Car Market, Green Flag, RAC

One way to ensure you get the best deal from a provider of car breakdown cover UK, is to have the most up-to-date car possible and that’s why for many, the Scrappage scheme seemed such a good idea.

Th idea is simple. There are too many old cars on the roads today. Old cars can be more dangerous and are mostly less efficient than modern cars. They use more fuel, don’t return the best mileage figures and require more servicing, and maintaining. And often, they attract higher car insurance breakdown cover premiums.

In short, it is best for drivers across Europe to drive the most modern and efficient cars possible. Very laudable and the UK has now followed the likes of Germany in offering a viable scrappage scheme. And the likes of the AA, RAC and Green Flag seem generally in favour.

Despite some hiccups at the start, when certain manufacturers threatened not to participate because of VAT worries, the scheme has got off to a good start, with an estimated 60,000 old cars being taken off the UK roads.

But of course, everyone is not happy. Certain commentators think that the scrappage scheme is a hyped-up initiative which is not as good as it first appears. Some have gone as far as calling it ill-considered and lacking in effectiveness.

First, the scheme itself. The car has to be old (over ten years), be taxed, insured and MOT. In other words, fishing out that old banger from the village pond is not going to work either. Nor can you buy your mates old banger and exchange that. You have to have owned the car for a good 12 months.

So, given that you pass all the criteria (and that must rule out a good load of people) you can run along to the Government and get a £2,000 pay-out. And with that wedge in your hand, you can go along to the dealer and get a further £2,000 discount, because, afterall, times are tough.

So, you’d be looked at getting say a £12,000 motor for around £8,000. Not bad. The trouble is, that when you read the fine print (and fine print it is, get your glasses ready), you will see that the Government only gives you £1,000 of the £2,000 on offer, and the car manufacturer is meant to give you the other £1,000 off the list price. Now anyone knows that in tough times, manufacturers will haggle more than a carpet salesmen, so a £1,000 off the ticket price is not that big a deal. Motoring magazines have been highlighting regular deals which have seen up to £5,000 knocked off some new cars. So £1,000 is a little paltry.

Furthermore, people might swap their ten-year-old car for a £1,000 handout, realising that it might be worth far more. Indeed, it might be worth many thousands more.

Old does not necessarily mean worthless and commentators are worried that people are so brainwashed by the Government’s apparent largesse, that they fail to understand that they can easily get bigger dealer discounts and that they might be selling their own car too cheaply.

In other words, before you start comparing rescue and recovery services for your new car funded partly by the government, make you sure you’re not being undersold.

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Breakdowns, Car Breakdown, Green Flag, RAC, Scrappage Scheme

There are many people who shy clear of any form of insurance that is neither compulsory nor totally suicidal not to have. Breakdown cover may well be one of these forms of insurance that people are inclined to do without, stating that it is a an unnecessary expense and the chances of ever having to take advantage of the services on offer are so low that it is not justified.

Having car breakdown cover is not compulsory, yet most car insurers offer it at a highly subsidized cost as part of a comprehensive insurance policy. There are very few people who refuse the offer, simply because they want the peace of mind of knowing that if something does go wrong with their car that a reputable company will come to their assistance. The major and national roadside assistance companies have link ups with the leading UK car insurance giants, and the prices obtainable from them are part of an insurance package are very fair. Much fairer than if your car breaks down, you are not covered, and you fall into the hands of some of the more unscrupulous locally based breakdown services that like awake at night dreaming of the opportunity of earning a fat profit from someone who is in distress and consequentially vulnerable.

Not that the national breakdown services will not come to your aid if you are in distress, or that someone with care insurance cover will get priority over, either in terms of response time, quality of service or how the service operator will relate to you. However, you will swiftly realize the cost of not being insured, especially if the mechanic sent is not capable of carrying out a roadside repair, and you car has to transport to a garage. You will discover that you will have been so much better of paying the cover, probably five or even ten times more so, depending on the distances involved in transporting your car.

There are a lot of people that are under the mistaken impression that breakdown cover also includes the cost of repairing the car. The role of the roadside repair man is to diagnose the problem, do a running repair if at all possible, and if not either tow the car or arrange for it to be transported to the nearest garage for repair. The car owner can also insist that their car be transported to a garage of their choice, especially if they are far away from home. The breakdown company is obliged to do so, and will. However if they are locally based they will arrange to transport it on their own truck, If you have no insurance breakdown cover, this will be very expensive and difficult to justify. However if you deal with a national company such as the AA or the RAC, they will transport your car large distances at low cost, usually transferring it three of four times from transporter to transporter along the way.
All in all, there is an argument whether breakdown cover is a justifiable expense. Just ask anyone who has ever broken down in the middle of a rain storm, in the small hours of the morning, 200 miles away from home, and they will tell you exactly how worthwhile it is!

Sourced from http://www.carbreakdowns.co.uk/

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For More information on specific Recovery Agents use these links

• The AA
• Green Flag
• The RAC
• More Than
• GEM Motoring Assist

For more detailed information and all the best deals from the AA visit www.aa-cover.com/

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Car Insurance, Car Maintenance, Cars, Child Safety, eCommerce Associates, More Th>N, RAC, Tesco Insurance

It is never pleasant suffering a break down when you are on a car journey, and if the breakdown occurs when you are driving along on a motorway. If you feel that your car is experiencing some problems when you are driving on a motorway, yet nothing that will cause long term and significant damage, then do you best to “nurse” your car to the next service area? If you feel that your car won’t make it too far, there are always spots that you can find every few miles where you can stop your car in safety, and call for roadside assistance.

If the problem with your car is so serious that you cannot continue to drive, you should pull onto the hard shoulder as cautiously as you can, and as far to the left as you can go. Sidelights and hazard warning lights should be left on. If you are alone in the car or with adult passengers, you should step out of the car, and only from the left side. If you are travelling alone with young children, then your number one priority should be their safety, and the focus of your attention should be in keeping them safe. If you are travelling with another adult, then you should pass on the responsibility to that person.

Breaking down on a motorway is a very fraught experience and with children in the car it can be life threatening, so keep as cool a head as you can. Many responsible drivers keep a luminous jacket or jackets in their car for such an eventuality. If you have one, wear it and make sure that your passengers do too, even in the middle of a hot summer’s day.

Once you know that your passengers are being taken care of, walk along the left side of the safety lane till you find an emergency phone. These are usually placed about one mile apart, so it is not too far too walk. In the age of mobile phones, people are inclined to waste valuable time and endanger their lives by attempting to call emergency services on their mobile whilst under pressure. It is so much easier to walk the maximum of one mile and make direct contact with the Motorway Police. If you see an emergency phone on the other side of the motorway, never under any circumstances should you cross the motorway to reach it.
When you reach the phone station, report your situation, your position but don’t waste your time and theirs trying to explain why you think that your car broke down. Instead start to walk back in the direction of your car, and you will probably find that they will be there waiting for you when you arrive. Once the police are on the scene, the pressure will be off you. The motorway police will have called out someone to look at your vehicle and give a rapid assessment of the problems. If they can carry out a running repair to get the car running till the nearest service station or better still to a garage, then that is the best of a bad situation. If the problem is really serious, they may arrange for the car to be transported to the nearest service station, for onward transportation by your roadside breakdown service.
All in all breaking down on a motorway, whilst traumatic, does not have to be a catastrophe. It’s all a case of keeping a cool head and following the proper procedures.

Sourced from http://www.carbreakdowns.co.uk/

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For More information on specific Recovery Agents use these links

• The AA
• Green Flag
• The RAC
• More Than
• GEM Motoring Assist

For more detailed information and all the best deals from the AA visit www.aa-cover.com/

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Breakdowns, Car Insurance, Car Maintenance, Cars, Child Safety, eCommerce Associates, More Th>N

Ask the average person to provide a list of issues that must concern them as we move towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century, and in there along with global warming, World peace and financial stability you might well find finding a reliable, honest garage to do their car repairs.
People live in fear of their car breaking down. Things are tight enough these days for most people and the last thing they need is a major repair involving expensive spare parts and hours of labour eating away at next month’s salary well before it hits the bank. Many people, even those who have been car owners for years, have very little idea of what actually happens inside the engine of their car. When something goes wrong, you can see them standing around helplessly in a garage, hoping that the problem will go away by itself, but it never does.

The fact is that you can’t prevent a car from needing repairs, especially one that has been on the road for a few years. Engines work hard and eventually start to wear out, and parts need to be replaced. The amount of money you will have to pay on repairs and how breakdowns occur will depend on how the owner relates to their car. If you have your car serviced on a regular basis, at a garage that you trust, they will be able to alert you when such and such a part is about to wear out and will need replacing. If the part and cost of the repair is not too high, you might decide to do the repair on the spot. Or you might put it off for a few weeks, till you have the time or the money to do the repair, on condition that your garage tells you that the repair can wait.

This is an example of trust between a garage and their customers, which should be cherished. This kind of relationship usually, but not always, is found with main dealers. They have too much to lose by “short changing” their customers as well as having the specific experience of dealing with certain car manufacturers, and not just a jack of all trades handling all kinds of makes. They tend to be more expensive, but they earn the difference in by knowing exactly how to take care of your car, its idiosyncrasies as well as being able to diagnose problems and anticipate problems that will happen in the future.

There is no danger that a main dealer will never try to fob used or reconditioned parts, unless you agree, a situation that you will come up against if you service your car in a “jack of all makes” garage. If a car owner is loyal to their garage, then the garage will be loyal to them in return. Once a car gets past a certain age or over a certain mileage, it may not be economical to carry out repairs at a main dealer, and they will understand that.

What is important is to be consistent and work with a garage that you can trust. Do your homework and be prepared. In the long term it will save you a lot of money and inconvenience.

Sourced from http://www.carbreakdowns.co.uk/

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For More information on specific Recovery Agents use these links

• The AA
• Green Flag
• The RAC
• More Than
• GEM Motoring Assist

For more detailed information and all the best deals from the AA visit www.aa-cover.com/

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Car Insurance, Car Maintenance, Cars, Child Safety, eCommerce Associates, More Th>N, Tesco Insurance

When it comes to breakdown cover, like any other form of service that you purchase, you only get what you pay for. There are major price savings to be earned when you add breakdown and recovery services when you go to renew your annual comprehensive insurance policy. Most of the UK.s major insurance companies have tied up with one or two of the leading national break down companies. However whilst there are advantages in this option, especially in the discounts to be taken advantage of, insurance brokers are in business to sell insurance, so you should make sure that you are getting the breakdown cover that you want. Most of the leading roadside recovery companies openly publish their prices online, allowing a quick comparison of both their prices and services. Before rushing off to sign up for breakdown insurance through your broker, it might well be worth your while to compare prices, and discover if the generous discounts offer apply to the entire range of services that these companies offer, or just a selected few.

To provide a loose indication, here is a chart of the UKs leading breakdown recovery organisations with prices for their range of services.

Company	Standard	Standard  and Recovery	Standard  and Recovery plus Homestart	Standard  and Recovery plus Homestart and replacement vehicle
AA	£38	£72	£108	£135
Green Flag	£36	£66	£69	£133
Tesco	£33	£59	£79	N/A
RAC	£33	£71	£81	£106

When comparing these prices you will be able to observe that there are no major differences in price at least for the more standard services. When deciding which company you want to work with, and whether you will be arranging your own breakdown insurance or through your broker, you should regard this chart as the roughest of indicators, which should help to present an overall picture of the many services available.

Spend the necessary time online to assess each of these companies, as well as the many others that offer roadside recovery services. The issue can be a very important one, and not to be taken lightly, you may never need a recovery service, if you get lucky or once every two or three years if you go by the law of averages. However when you do need assistance, you need to know that you are placing yourself in the hands of professionals, who care about the company that they work for as well as its customers.   

The standard of service that you should be looking for must include maximum call out time, with the standard being no more than forty minutes. Another important issue that should be addressed is whether the roadside service provides a priority service for families travelling with young children, elderly or infirm. These are issues that need to be taken care of when you decide which breakdown cover will suit you best.

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For More information on specific Recovery Agents use these links

• The AA
• Green Flag
• The RAC
• More Than
• GEM Motoring Assist

For more detailed information and all the best deals from the AA visit www.aa-cover.com/

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Car Insurance, Car Maintenance, Cars, Child Safety, eCommerce Associates, More Th>N, Tesco Insurance

Standing alone in the middle of a rainy and windswept moor in the wee small hours of the morning is not right time to come to the conclusion that you have placed your faith in the wrong hands when you decided which company to trust with your breakdown cover.
Many UK drivers are inclined not to take breakdown cover too seriously. In a good situation, they opt for the company that their car insurance broker advises them to take as part of their comprehensive cover. And, to be fair, the breakdown service provider will always be one of the nation’s leading companies in that field, and the service package will be more than enough for the average car owner’s needs.
However before taking this all too easy step, more and more car owners are politely declining their well meaning insurance broker’s offer to take care of their breakdown service insurance for them and deciding to handle this important project by themselves. Some for the wrong reasons and some for the right.
There are many people in the UK who are convinced that they don’t need breakdown insurance. And who can argue that they do. They may go for years or forever never experiencing a break down, and if it is does happen, it happens in circumstances where they can walk away from the car and come back the next day to fix it, and fail to see what all the fuss is about People should never feel obliged to have any form of insurance that is not compulsory or completely irrational or irresponsible not to have. As long as these people are prepared to bear the consequences.
What is much worse than having no breakdown cover is having cover that is not sufficient. In these difficult times, the chase is on to cut corners as much as possible. That means that car owners on a tight budget choose the cheapest car breakdown cover provider that they can find, and the most basic plan that is on offer. They only gain peace of mind and nothing else, because if they ever have to put their breakdown insurance cover to the test, they will more less likely find it a highly unpleasant experience. There are many breakdown insurance companies that don’t employ their own staff or have their own vehicles. They farm out their business to independent contractors. These people can be very unreliable, not too honest and their sole intention, instead of coming to your rescue, is to take advantage of your discomfort to milk you out of as much money as they can.
When choosing the right breakdown cover, you first of all need to do so base on the assumption that one day you will need to implement it. When you do, you want to work with a good and reliable company, and there are no shortages of them in the UK, with AA , Green Flag, Tesco, RAC, Insurance Choice (IC) being the leaders in the field. You should take a moment or two to click on their links and study their wide range of breakdown recovery schemes for choosing which one suits you most.

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For More information on specific Recovery Agents use these links

• The AA
• Green Flag
• The RAC
• More Than
• GEM Motoring Assist

For more detailed information and all the best deals from the AA visit www.aa-cover.com/

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Car Insurance, Car Maintenance, Cars, Child Safety, eCommerce Associates, More Th>N, Tesco Insurance