Breakdown cover has and will forever be seen as an optional irrelevance for most consumers and their car insurance cover.
Research conducted by RAC has discovered that many drivers do not have adequate breakdown cover in the event of an emergency.

According to the motor insurer female motorists aged between 18 and 24 are most likely to forgo breakdown insurance increasing the risk of being stranded or having to rely on family members, friends or members of the public to assist them.

Iain Vale, RAC's patrolman of the year, said. "Many drivers are so ill prepared for what to do if they break down - some end up calling their insurer and taking out cover on the spot, which isn't ideal."

Extras

Vale went on to state that breakdown’s are not the only incidents where you can activate this type of cover.
"You can call up for anything that you don't feel sure about with the car - if your headlights have gone, if your windscreen wipers stopped and you can't drive in the rain, if you have a flat tyre, if your engine warning light comes on and you don't know why.

"I recently spent over an hour helping a lady who had a two-door coupe, put one of the seats forward but got it jammed and couldn't push it back. Breakdown cover is so much more than just dealing with a flat battery and, if you have a policy, it is worth calling up for help if it will reassure you and make you feel safer about driving your car." He added.

Cost

It can cost anything up to £500 pounds to have your car recovered from a perilous situation if you don’t have the necessary cover. Compare this to the cost of most breakdown cover and the difference is marked. Breakdown cover can start form £20 up to £135 depending on your choice of cover

Will Thomas, head of car insurance at a comparison site, says it is. "You don't realise the value of breakdown cover until you need it. It is an additional cost, but it is essential. Some people think just because they are insured, they are automatically covered, but that's a serious misconception."

Research

Hayley Parsons, managing director of comparison webiste, states that good research is paramount to secure yourself the best deal for your insurance policy: "You should not presume that your car insurer will automatically give you a cheap quote for breakdown cover. While it might be easier to simply add it on to your existing insurance policy, a standalone policy will usually be cheaper. If you wanted cover that includes onward travel, it will cost around £39 on a standalone policy. If you tagged it on to your existing insurance, you could pay up to £79 for the same level of cover."