Why are breakdowns on A-roads up 20% in five years?

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 06 Nov 2024

Breakdowns on A-roads have surged 20% since 2019 – despite the number of vehicle miles travelling on them dipping 3% in the same period.

The data, attained by a Moneysupermarket FOI request, shows there were 36,625 breakdowns on England’s A-roads in 2023, compared to 31,087 in 2019.

The A1(M) topped the table with 8177 breakdowns in 2023, with the A1 adding a further 2725 breakdowns. The A14 slotted in between them in second, with 3064 breakdowns.

The A38 saw 2641 breakdowns, while the A34, A19, A282 and A3 all saw more than 1000 breakdowns last year.

Moneysupermarket says it is not sure why there has been such a large increase in breakdowns – but speculates that it could be due to people skipping routine vehicle maintenance to save money due to ongoing pressures on family finances.

"With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to put a squeeze on household finances, routine car maintenance may not seem like an essential expense," says Alicia Hempsted, Moneysupermarket's finance expert.

"However, skipping these jobs could result in motorists having to pay out even more if they are unfortunate enough to suffer a breakdown that could have been avoided by acting earlier."

According to Moneysupermarket data, motorists without breakdown cover have to pay at least £192 for the police to tow their vehicle – on top of any necessary parts and repairs.

The data also revealed the top places where motorists are likely to break down on an A-road. The A282 at the Dartford Crossing was top, followed by the A3 between the A427 and M25 and the A1(M) between J51 and J50.

Hempsted also reminded motorists to wear a high-visibility jacket if they do break down, and make sure they stand behind a safety barrier if there is one.

Ask HJ

Can you get breakdown cover for two cars?

My wife and I both still drive and each own our own car. We are 'getting on a bit' in years but are keen to carry on driving while we feel safe to do so. As the years go by we feel it increasing important to have breakdown cover for both cars and for this to cover whichever of us happens to be driving at the time of any breakdown. Do any of the recovery companies offer this joint arrangement at a reasonable rate?

Some breakdown providers offer multi-car policies in the same way that some car insurance providers do. We would suggest looking at companies such as AA, RAC, Green Flag and Emergency Assist. You can read more about this in our guide here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/running-costs/breakdown-cover/#multi

Answered by David Ross

More Questions