Breakdown policies can cover an individual, a specific vehicle or multiple members of the same household. If you’re living in the same household as other people, factors such as the number of drivers and vehicles, whether cars are shared, and how household members typically travel will help determine whether you need family or individual cover.
Family cover is available for multiple people in the same household. Of the major providers, The AA and Green Flag will let you put 4 people on the same policy, while RAC will allow 5. That would mean everyone on the policy is covered in any car they’re travelling in.
Individual cover, as the name suggests, is for 1 person. It gives that person cover for any cover they’re travelling in.
In general, family cover is cheaper than multiple individual policies.
There’s a third cover option and that is vehicle cover. This can be a cheaper option for a family with 1 vehicle. Here are the differences between the 3 types:
| Cover type | How it works | Relevant considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle cover | This cover is attached to a specified eligible vehicle. | May be relevant where protection is primarily required for 1 vehicle. Usually the cheapest option. |
| Individual cover | Cover follows a named individual in eligible vehicles. | Can offer flexibility for people who regularly travel in different vehicles. It will cost more than vehicle cover. |
| Family cover | Cover extends to multiple eligible household members. | Could be good for households with several drivers or people regularly using different vehicles. It can work out cheaper than everyone having multiple individual policies. |
There are lots of household circumstances that can influence the type of breakdown cover people look into. Family cover may be of interest to households with:
The cost of a policy will vary for a lot of different regions, including age, location and how many people will be covered.
We gathered real quotes for The AA’s family breakdown cover and compared them with the cost of taking out 4 individual policies.
Prices vary depending on location and age, but you can see in the table below that with The AA family breakdown cover, you’ll be saving 50% or more when you opt for a family policy (covers up to 4 people) instead of 4 individual ones.
| Region | Age | The AA annual family cover cost | The AA 4x individual plans cost | Total savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 20 | £229.31 | £486.88 | £257.57 |
| 40 | £229.83 | £487.96 | £258.13 | |
| 60 | £231.05 | £490.56 | £259.51 | |
| Birmingham | 20 | £240.78 | £511.20 | £270.42 |
| 40 | £241.32 | £512.36 | £271.04 | |
| 60 | £208.92 | £487.40 | £278.48 | |
| Leeds | 20 | £217.85 | £462.52 | £244.67 |
| 40 | £208.92 | £462.84 | £253.92 | |
| 60 | £175.96 | £397.36 | £221.40 | |
| Manchester | 20 | £217.85 | £462.52 | £244.67 |
| 40 | £219.01 | £465 | £245.99 | |
| 60 | £201.66 | £445.28 | £243.62 |
These prices were sourced in August 2026 and depend on individual circumstances. They’re subject to change and won’t be the same for everyone. But as an illustration of the savings you can get from a family breakdown cover policy they’re very insightful.
Alongside deciding who or what is covered, households may also consider the level of assistance included.
The relevance of these features can vary according to driving habits. For example, families making regular long-distance journeys may have different requirements from households whose driving is predominantly local.
Depending on the policy and provider, this can include:
Factors that may be relevant when comparing different types of breakdown cover include:
Considering these factors together can provide a more complete picture than comparing the headline premium alone.
Factors you should look at include cost, fix rates, callout limits, the size of patrol networks, coverage options and customer reviews. We’ve looked at the 3 biggest providers:
The AA has the largest fleet, with 2,700 dedicated patrols* and unlimited callout limits on all its plans, as long as it’s not the same issue.
You can get cover for up to 4 people on a single policy, provided you live at the same address. This is also relevant for students living away from home during term time, because they can be covered under the same policy.
The AA repairs around 80% of callouts at the roadside, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to continue your journey.
All of this means The AA has an “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot (4.8 out of 5)**, as well as a 5-star Defaqto rating. It was also the winner of Finder’s 2026 Customer Satisfaction Awards, with 92% of customers saying they would recommend it.
RAC has around 1,700 patrols in its fleet. It lets you cover up to 5 people under a single policy, which is a good perk if you have that many drivers in your household. It also covers students residing away from home.
With RAC, it only offers unlimited callouts on the most premium plans, so if you want a cheaper policy that is one of the drawbacks.
It also repairs around 80% of vehicles at the roadside.
In Finder’s 2026 Customer Satisfaction Awards, 88% of customers said they’d recommend RAC. It has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 from over 212,000 reviews on Trustpilot.
Green Flag covers up to 4 people on a single policy, but doesn’t cover students living away from home.
It offers unlimited callout limits (unless it’s an existing issue) but if you want to get family cover, you need to call up to get a quote.
In Finder’s 2026 Customer Satisfaction Awards, Green Flag was highly commended.
On Trustpilot, Green Flag has a score of 4.7 out of 5 from nearly 63,000 reviews.
It will depend on how the policy is structured. With cover that follows the individual rather than a specified vehicle, eligible family members may be protected when using different eligible vehicles.
This can be relevant for households with several cars or family members who regularly swap vehicles. As an example, with The AA, eligible family members can be covered when driving or travelling as a passenger in an eligible vehicle, subject to the relevant terms.
Some forms of personal breakdown cover provide protection when the covered person is travelling as a passenger in an eligible vehicle as well as when they are driving.
Callout limits vary between providers and policies, so it’s important to check the applicable terms and exclusions.
The AA offers unlimited callouts with its breakdown cover, subject to policy terms. This excludes recurring problems with a vehicle, where the underlying fault has not been addressed. RAC, for example, has limits on callouts each year for its more basic policies.
Costs vary according to the provider, number of people covered and level of assistance selected. Comparing the total price and scope of family cover with relevant individual alternatives can help households understand the options available.
If you break down while taking your kids to school, you’ll be able to get assistance, provided you have the right level of cover. That would mean making sure your policy has cover for you at home and for onward travel, to ensure you can complete your journey. The most basic level of coverage doesn’t normally include this as standard, so you would need to add it on to your policy.
This will depend. If you only have 1 car and multiple people driving it, then it might make sense to just have vehicle cover. But if you have multiple drivers and multiple cars, then having personal family coverage could be a better option. And it covers you if anyone on the policy is in another vehicle too.
**Correct at September 2026. Ratings may change, Verify at theAA.com/Best
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