Tuesday, 26 November 2019

•Exclusive What Car? research reveals the best breakdown providers in Britain
•The AA ranked as the best provider, reaching nearly three-quarters of stranded drivers in under an hour
•RAC found to repair most cars by the roadside – repairing nearly two-thirds of callouts with either a permanent or temporary fix
•Last year saw 224,225 vehicle breakdowns on the Strategic Road Network
•To read the full report on Britain’s best breakdown providers, visit: https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/whats-the-best-breakdo...

Britain’s best breakdown recovery providers have been revealed, with the AA rated best overall, according to exclusive research by Britain’s leading consumer champion and new car buying platform, What Car?.

As part of the What Car? 2019 Reliability Survey*, What Car? ranked the UK’s main breakdown providers. Quizzing motorists on both the time it took to for patrols to reach them as well as whether the problem was fixed, What Car? ranked each of the eight major breakdown cover providers.

The AA was found to reach stranded motorists the quickest, arriving on the scene in less than 30 minutes 23% of the time, with nearly three-quarters of all customers reached within an hour.

The RAC proved to be the best at roadside repairs, with an impressive 40% of all cars and vans fixed permanently, with 25% given a temporary fix that would allow drivers to continue their journey home or to a nearby garage. The AA and Green Flag were able to provide a permanent fix to 38% and 37% of all vehicles.

Last year there were 224,225 breakdowns on the Strategic Road Network, adding up to 614 every single day, up from 195,292 in 2017**. What Car?’s research found breakdown cover can cost as little as £19 for a year.

Across all providers, 51% of all vehicles were either fixed permanently or temporarily, with drivers able to continue their journey. Nearly a third of cars were towed to a garage for repairs, with just 5% of all breakdown operators unable to either fix the vehicle or tow it to a garage for further repairs. LV= Britannia Rescue provided some form of assistance to most of its members – just 2% of respondents said their car wasn’t fixed or towed anywhere for them.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Most motorists will experience a breakdown at one point or another. Standing by the roadside is never fun, so it’s worth knowing who to call to ensure you are reached quickly by a competent mechanic who will help you get back on the road as soon as possible.

“The 2019 Reliability Survey shows most motorists are reached in less than an hour, and our research found breakdown cover can cost as little as £19 for a whole year, so it’s an investment worth making.”

To read the full report on Britain’s best breakdown providers, visit: https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/whats-the-best-breakdo...

ENDS
*18,119 motorists took part in the What Car? 2019 Reliability Survey, with 2320 answering questions about their breakdown provider

**https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/...

*** Results a combination of speed of recovery and the result of the callout. What Car? used the scores for the two best outcomes in each area to rank the providers.

About What Car?
What Car?, the UK’s leading and most trusted car buying brand, has the magazine, a market-leading website and several established brand extensions. It has helped Britain’s car buyers to make purchasing decisions for more than 40 years and its tests are widely regarded as the most trusted source of new car advice.

Whatcar.com is the UK’s leading car buying website, offering trusted reviews and data on every new car. A winner of numerous awards and accolades, whatcar.com is recognised as one of the UK’s leading consumer websites and attracts 1.7m unique users every month and over 13m monthly page impressions. The brand has seen major investment in its digital infrastructure as it develops a new ecommerce platform, allowing users to act on the trusted advice What Car? offers.
With a print circulation of 55,459, combined with its mobile and social reach, What Car? has more than 5.5 million monthly points of contact with its audience on the move, at work, at home and at the crucial point of sale. It is the top performing monthly on the UK newsstand in the motoring category.

For further media information please contact Performance Communications:
Natasha Perry or Sam Wilkinson at Performance Communications on 0208 541 3434.
natasha@performancecomms.com
sam@performancecomms.com