Breakdown Assistance: How Useful Is It?

In this article, Theodoor Pater, editor of the comparison site pechverhelping.com, explains the usefulness and technical aspects of breakdown assistance.

What you need to know about breakdown assistance

What is breakdown assistance?

Vehicle technical assistance is assistance provided when you're stranded on the road following a breakdown or accident, preventing you from continuing your journey. Assistance can consist of repairing the vehicle on the spot or, for example, towing it. Breakdown services such as Redion's, however, take a very broad view of the concept of a "breakdown". Assistance is therefore also provided in the event of an accident, or when the vehicle owner has inadvertently caused the breakdown themselves. Think, for example, of problems caused by filling up with the wrong fuel.

And which is the best assistance provider...?

People often wonder which provider offers the best breakdown assistance.
If only that question had an easy answer! I'll still try to answer as clearly as possible: the best breakdown service is the one that best suits your situation. A number of factors come into play, and it's worth reviewing them to find the most suitable breakdown cover:

• How old is your vehicle?
• Are you travelling abroad? How often, and for how long?
• How often do you worry that your car might break down, or in other words, is your vehicle in good working order?
• Do you use your vehicle for private or professional purposes? Is it already covered by an insurance policy, and are its passengers too?
• How many people ride in your car?
• Would you like a replacement car? If so, for how long?
• …

These various factors influence your choice of the provider that suits you best. Answering these questions makes it easier to compare prices and plans from different assistance providers.

Assistance in the event of a breakdown abroad

If you're travelling abroad, insurance or a subscription to breakdown assistance is strongly recommended, since different rules and laws apply outside your home country's borders.

How will you continue your journey if your vehicle breaks down?

What will happen to your passengers, your luggage and any trailer you may have?

A replacement car in the event of a breakdown can save you a lot of worry.

In short, other circumstances come into play in the event of a breakdown abroad. Temporary breakdown assistance combined with travel insurance is also an option. It's useful when you only travel abroad once a year. If you travel abroad more frequently, it makes sense to choose an annual assistance insurance policy with breakdown cover valid abroad.

Assistance without prior membership

What if you don't want to join an insurance company but would still like to be able to call on an assistance provider in the event of a breakdown? Some assistance providers won't step in without prior membership, and with others you'll generally pay more for these assistance services. Factor in the cost of breakdown assistance on top of the price of the mandatory subscription.
In principle, and as mentioned above, requesting assistance for a breakdown will cost you more if you're not a member of an assistance company. However, prior membership means you'll pay a premium even though nothing guarantees you'll ever need to call on assistance services.
Here too, the rule is therefore to choose what suits you best.

Not just car breakdowns

When people say "breakdown assistance", they most often think of cars. But this assistance doesn't just apply to cars, but also to motorcycles, (electric) bicycles, mopeds and other scooters…. Abandoning your pedelec or your valuable scooter somewhere unattended following a breakdown would be quite a problem. And then you'd have to organise and pay for transport and repairs yourself. That's why we recommend choosing breakdown assistance plans that include other modes of transport.

A breakdown always happens at the worst possible time. So make sure you're well informed and think carefully about the assistance plan that best suits your situation.
Choose the right plan and hit the road worry-free!

This article was written in collaboration with the site pechverhelping.com.