It has been a while since it has been seen but it was good to see the AA (who are the biggest provider of breakdown cover in the UK) come on to TV and campaign that although oil prices have dropped, the price we pay for our petrol does not seem to have reduced by the same level.
For us here at breakdown Cover net it was a refreshing sight, something would have occurred much more in the past, when these emergency recovery services were more of a motoring club than the insurance organisations they are today.
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It probably is ironic that in the Golden Age of motoring right up until recently, most breakdown cover organisations had patrolmen or women using motorcycles to attend stricken vehicles, but there was never a real emphasis on promoting services for the stricken motorcyclists on their machines.
Over the years the amount of motorcycles has been cut down to allow for large vans with all the tools and spare parts necessary to fix a car by the roadside. It is also true that many organisations use agents to attend emergencies and so the motorcycle patrolman is far in-between.
I started to say this was ironic in that because of the huge competition within this market, a much larger focus is being applied to offering breakdown cover for motorbikes with similar options to the car owner. Most the operators including the big 3 offer options to get the motorcyclist back on the road to taken to a place of their choice based on the policy they have bought, just like a car emergency insurance agreement.
Of course operators have focused more on the car market because of economies of scale and there are far more cars on the road than bikes. But with competition and lets be honest reduced premiums in real terms against our earnings, then in order to keep a market share motorbike breakdown cover polices are being advertised more than ever. This does mean more training for the engineers and possibly carrying more parts, but it does mean more members.
If you have decided not to call out the breakdown cover man because you ahve a flat tyre and think you can do it quicker than wait for the recovery vehicle to arrive, here is an instructional video to get you started.
It is not accreditated by any UK based breakdown cover organistation, but does seem to offer a very simple explaination of everything to do with changing that tyre. Of course there is a second point, in that if you don’t understand this video or can’t be bothered to watch, then maybe you should take out that breakdown cover policy today. At least you will have someone to ring, should you need to.
Well it had to go on to show some more parts and another video from 1986 showing how the industry was then. I can’t help think about Thunderbirds when I read National Rescue instead of International Rescue. Here we see what happens outside of the breakdown recovery trucks in offices and I am not sure why the garage schenes are in. I presume it is to show there main business is running garages. The breakdown cover organisations just focus on breakdown recovery, where national rescue have other roles is the message I guess.
They have shut the road down, the police take him on to the road, sure signs that this recovery job is related to a fatal accident. The breakdown recovery guys have to collect these cars just like any other at scenes that have runined peoples lives. There is no blood or gore but it is a sobering scene and these breakdown cover recovery guys are part of it as their job.
I would just would not do this job. The news at the end of the clip states the driver was driving up the wrong way of the highway. The passengers survived, only they will know why.
It seems that the UK likes to be under water more than above it as once again floods and flood warnings cover the UK. It only seems like yesterday I was talking about breakdown cover for boats (more…)
I have written abou this before, but the snows arrive in this country and we come to a stop, stress lvels go up and for the last few years at least it has just been after Chritmas.
I though i would look for snow related breakdown cover or recovery related stories or videos to get us brits through this time.
Here is a breakdown recovery where they forgot to put on the snow chains, (and we think we have got it bad)
Imagine your breakdown cover man turns up to reapir your car, just to establish it needs to be towed back home or to a local garage. The breakdown cover patrolman would normally have to lay long leagnts of wire between the recovery vehicle and the light board attached to the towed vehicle.
A company has come up with a solution for this issue, a wireless led system that sames time at the side of the road. Less damage to the car being towed with loose cables hanging over the top and the general safety of working at the side of the road.
A long video aimed at those in the profession, but wothy of a look if you are in to breakdown cover principles or recovery trucks.
How do I know that christmas is just about here? Well it is not the colder weather, the appearance of christmas decorations in the shops, my kids starting to behave themselves and being just that little but more respectful together with hints of what they want for Christmas . For me it is the Coke advert on TV, “holidays are comming, holidays are comming” I know it is christmas when this happens.
Breakdown Cover For Christmas
For many the iPods, the sat nav, mobile phones and i suppose the latest games consoles will be on thier shopping list, but I wonder how many will put a breakdown cover policy on their letter to santa? porbably not many, but unlike some gifts that are just for Christmas day a breakdown cover policy will be there 24hrs a day and 365 days of the following year, no matter where you are in the UK and no matter what problem your vehicle has thrown at you.
If you are like my parents they can’t give anything that can’t be touched or enjoyed on christmas day, this of course has resulted in uneeded gifts that get put away after Christmas day and sold on a car boot sale the following year.
Breakdown Cover Is Just Too Practical
There is no doubt that breakdown cover is practical over exciting, it helps you in times of need but does get the party going. It is one of things, do you want someone to enjoy their gift with many more on one day or pissibly several times in real times of need over the next 12 months? Of course even with the practicalies most will just not buy their loved one a piece of paper. for those who do, clever stuff for those that don’t, well enjoy your Christmas anyway.
I know scarborough pretty well with it only being an hour or so drive from where i live, so when i saw this video of a boring breakdown cover man on the seafront, I had to out it here.
Of course these guys who attend breakdowns are often run off their feet, working in all types of weather (it looks a tyical Scarborough day there) and at all times of the day and night. But obviously they get some perods that are just boring waiting for theat breakdown cover call to come in, this looks just like thats cenario.
Reading his newspaper on a quiet day, down by the caost at scarborough, with a yorkshire voice, letting us know what he is doing.
The word boring is his own, not ours, but you should watch anyway. Lets have it for the breakdown cover man in Scarborough.
You will now need ot search for “scarborough, supramat tacho break” as the feed has been stopped.