Not everyone has breakdown insurance cover and most drivers do not think twice about taking out a policy until they are stuck miles away from home or on the motorway having to calling for help or recovery.

Breaking down is not only a stressful experience but also inconvenient and expensive.

However, with the right level of breakdown insurance cover the experience can be a lot less painful and as insurance policies go, it really does bring peace of mind.

Like most insurance policies, breakdown insurance comes with various levels of cover and though it is tempting to cut corners and save money when buying a policy, this can be an expensive mistake should you need a service your policy does not cover.

Breakdown insurance comes as home start, roadside rescue or roadside recovery. The idea is to either fix the problem on the road or take the car to a repair centre – no matter what the time is, day or night.

Home start does what it says – if you break down on the drive or the road outside home, a mechanic will come and check out the problem.

Roadside recovery is the next level, which either lets a mechanic fix your car on the road or arrange a tow to a garage or home.

Check the policy to see how far away from home the insurer considers cover starts – some won’t come out unless you are a mile from home and will only tow to a garage unless home is nearer.

Breakdown cover is a sensible investment for anyone who drives a car – particularly older vehicles. Many new cars come with breakdown cover as part of the warranty for at least the first year of ownership, so ask the dealer if it’s included.

The car and mileage trap is another pitfall. If your car is over a certain age, not regularly services or has clocked up excessive mileage, the insurer may turn down your application for a policy.

Other silly rules come into play as well – for instance cars with caravans or trailers cannot get a puncture fixed unless they are carrying a spare.

The idea is to choose a level of cover which suits your needs and then pay for a year’s cover up front with any call outs in that year being free of charge.

Another option with breakdown insurance is whether to insure the vehicle or a person.

Insuring a vehicle gives cover whoever is driving, while insuring the person insures any vehicle they are travelling in.