Broken down without breakdown cover - what can you do?
If you've broken down and don't have breakdown cover in place, don't worry - you still have options. This simple guide covers everything you need to know, whether you're at the roadside and need help right now or simply want to be better prepared for next time.
What should you do right now if you've broken down without cover?
If you are currently broken down with no cover in place, your first priority is getting yourself and any passengers to a safe location. Everything else, including how you get help, must come second.
-
Get yourself and your vehicle to safety. If you can feel a problem developing, try to move off the road to a safe place like a lay-by, a quiet side road or car park is ideal. Don’t attempt to carry on if it isn’t safe to do so.
-
Switch your hazard lights on straight away. Warn other drivers that you have stopped and that your car may be in an unsafe location and causing an obstruction.
-
Make yourself visible. In low light or bad weather, turn your sidelights on too. If you have a high-visibility jacket, put it on before you leave the vehicle.
-
If it is safe to do so, carefully get out of your car and look around. If anyone is hurt or if your vehicle is blocking the road or in an unsafe location, call 999 immediately.
-
Use a warning triangle only if it’s safe to do so. On an ordinary road, placing one at least 45 metres behind your vehicle gives other drivers extra warning. Never use one on a motorway - it’s far too dangerous.
-
Get everyone to a safe place. Where possible, leave the vehicle from the side away from traffic and wait somewhere safe, away from the carriageway and behind a safety barrier if there is one.
-
Once you're safe, explore your options. Even without breakdown cover, you can still get help and assistance. This guide will explain what to do.
Can you call a recovery company without breakdown cover?
Yes - and in most situations, this is the quickest and most reliable option.
Many professional recovery and roadside assistance companies, including AASP, will attend without a breakdown policy being required. You would simply pay for the callout and the roadside repair or recovery of your vehicle, if needed.
Our Roadside Heroes are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call our roadside assistance team on 0845 649 1024 and we will do our best to assist you - no policy or prior membership needed.
What about finding a local garage?
If you've stopped somewhere safe and accessible, calling a local garage is another option. They may be able to send a mechanic out to you or arrange recovery to bring your vehicle in for assessment. However, there are a few practical limitations worth being aware of.
-
Most garages are not open 24 hours. If you break down in the evening, at night or at the weekend, you may struggle to find one that can respond quickly or at all.
-
Not all garages will come out to you. Many will only accept vehicles brought to their premises, which means you'll still need to arrange a recovery separately before the garage can even look at the problem.
-
Recovery costs can add up quickly. A callout charge, recovery costs and then a repair bill can soon mount up, particularly if you're in an unfamiliar area and are not sure which garages are trustworthy.
-
In remote areas, local garages may be difficult to find at all. A dedicated recovery company with regional or national coverage is generally a faster and more predictable option as they are fully equipped to deal with these situations.
If you do contact a local garage, always ask for a clear quote before agreeing anything. A reputable business will give you an honest estimate upfront rather than presenting you with a bill after a job has been completed.
Could you already have breakdown cover and not know it?
Before assuming you have no cover at all, it is worth checking a few places. Many drivers discover cover they were not aware of.
-
Your car insurance policy. Some comprehensive policies include basic roadside assistance or recovery as a standard benefit. Check your policy schedule or call your insurer to confirm exactly what is included.
-
Your bank account. Many packaged current accounts (where you pay a monthly fee) include breakdown cover as a built-in perk. A quick call to your bank's customer helpline will tell you what you have in place.
-
Your vehicle manufacturer. New and some nearly-new vehicles include roadside assistance for the first one to three years. Check your vehicle handbook or contact the manufacturer's helpline to find out whether yours still applies.
-
Your home insurance. Some home insurance policies include motor emergency cover as an optional add-on. Less common, but worth checking if you hold a comprehensive home policy.
What if you break down on a motorway without cover?
A motorway breakdown is among the most dangerous situations any driver can face. Whether or not you have breakdown cover, National Highways will respond to a vehicle stopped on a motorway - but there are important things to understand if you have no policy in place.
-
Move onto the hard shoulder if there is one, steering as far left as possible and turning your wheels to the left. Exit from the left-hand side and get well behind the safety barrier.
-
Use an emergency SOS phone if you can. Orange phones are positioned at regular intervals along motorways and connect directly to National Highways, helping them pinpoint your precise location - more reliably than a mobile in areas of poor signal.
-
National Highways will attend regardless of your cover status, but their contracted recovery operators will charge if you have no policy in place. This is sometimes referred to as a Statutory Undertaker charge and can be significantly higher than a standard roadside callout - this can be quite an expensive option.
-
Your vehicle will be taken to a place of safety - usually a holding area near the motorway. From there you can arrange onward recovery or repair with a company of your choice, including calling us.
When should you call 999?
Most breakdowns are an inconvenience rather than an emergency - but some situations do require the emergency services, regardless of whether you have breakdown cover or not. Call 999 if:
-
You, your passengers or other road users are in immediate danger.
-
You’re stranded in a live lane on a motorway and can’t move to safety.
-
Your vehicle is causing an obstruction that puts others at serious risk.
-
Anyone has been hurt or injured.
-
You feel unsafe or threatened at the roadside.
Not having any breakdown cover does not change when you should call 999. If there is an immediate risk to life or someone is injured, always call the emergency services first.
No Cover? Don't worry AASP can still help if you've broken down?
If you’ve broken down and need assistance, don’t worry - our Roadside Heroes are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even without breakdown cover.
Discover more.
We offer a range of professional automotive services at fair and affordable prices, from national vehicle collections to emergency roadside assistance and expert vehicle maintenance.