Breakdown cover for driver illness

J_Milou

Does anyone have any experience of arranging breakdown cover for driver illness or injury within the UK? I am the sole driver and recently had to extend a family stay away from home due to illness. My current insurance policy couldn't help and current breakdown cover focussed on vehicle breakdown only, even though I have personal cover. Any ideas, folks? Thanks.

spiro

I don't understand your question. Breakdown covers you when the car breaks down. How is that impacted if you are away from home unless you are staying there for months and the insurance are querying your home address?

elsien

So you mean cover for if you're ill while away and aren't able to drive back home? Breakdown cover won't help if your car hasn't broken down.
It may help if you explain what you want covered - did you incur extra accommodation costs, were you on holiday?

Tigsteroonie

I think I know what the OP wants... I had a friend who had driven a couple of hundred miles to spend a weekend with friends; during the weekend he fell and broke his arm. He was taken to the hospital local to his friends for a cast etc. He was then faced with the problem of how he not only get himself home but how does he also get his car home? He could travel by train or bus, but that leaves his car hundreds of miles away ...

lincroft1710

I think what the OP needs is some form of chauffeuring service. I am sure there are such companies but don't know of any personally.

born_again

A quick google brought up.

No idea if they are any good.

https://www.motoreasy.com/car/breakdown-cover

Roadside Assistance beyond 1 mile of your home address and Recovery up to 10 miles
Alternative Transport
Emergency Overnight Accommodation
Driver Illness or Injury cover
Key Recovery
Misfuel Assist
Message Service

The driver falls ill and can no longer drive and there is no one else able to?

We will arrange and pay for your vehicle to be transported by a Recovery Operator or driven by a chauffeur to your home address. A medical certificate clearly stating your illness/injury is preventing you from driving will be required before any claim is authorised. You must pay any costs relating to obtaining the medical certificate.

elsien

Found another, GEM, that do it as well. All of them say medical certificate needed, which begs the question of how easy it would be to see an out of area GP in the timescale needed when you're not registered with them, and it's not something obvious like a broken limb that you would go to hospital for.

MovingForwards

You can register as a temporary patient for 2 or 4 weeks, I forget which it is, at a GP practice where you are on holiday, how long a wait an appointment is though I couldn't say as it varies practice to practice.

missile

I believe SAGA offers free emergency cover for another driver to get you home if you are unable to drive through illness?

Andy_L

From the RAC
"Can I get help if/when away from home I become too unwell to drive?
Yes if you have Recovery cover. Cover is available should you be taken ill and cannot continue your journey and you have no passengers who can drive the vehicle. You will need to produce some form of medical certificate for this (in these cases, we will provide service at our discretion)."

I dare say the others provide something similar

AdrianC

Andy_L wrote: »

From the RAC
"Can I get help if/when away from home I become too unwell to drive?
Yes if you have Recovery cover. Cover is available should you be taken ill and cannot continue your journey and you have no passengers who can drive the vehicle. You will need to produce some form of medical certificate for this (in these cases, we will provide service at our discretion)."

I dare say the others provide something similar

Quite. I'm only surprised at the surprise.

I thought all national/"relay" personal cover included this. They certainly used to.

Yet another thing chiselled off in the pursuit of headline prices, I guess...