There’s never a good time for your vehicle to break down – but travelling back from a family holiday in a heatwave is right up there with the worst.
A vehicle packed to the rafters with suitcases and tired passengers just keen to get home makes for a pretty undesirable situation. Throw in stifling temperatures and having puppies in the vehicle with you can quickly create a recipe for disaster.
Thankfully, having breakdown cover can ease any safety or financial concerns while speeding up recovery times. It’s why recovery assistance such as that provided by Sterling Breakdown is so popular and can make a real difference, as one customer found out.
‘My brake lights were not working,’ said stricken driver
Matthew Clarke, his partner and kids aged 10 and eight were left stranded in sweltering conditions on the way back to Tamworth following a holiday in Devon and needed urgent breakdown assistance. A pair of seven-month-old Yorkiepoos called Pip and Beau were also in the VW campervan.
Matthew said his immediate concern had originally been for the safety of his family when he discovered his brake pedal switch had broken, leaving their vehicle with no brake lights. With temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, attention swiftly turned to the health of the puppies in the heat once their journey had been brought to a halt.
“A driver had alerted me that my brake lights were not working so we pulled into services at Gloucester,” said Mr Clarke, who was driving the 14-year-old camper.
“We found some shade, did some Googling and realised we needed some assistance. It was extremely hot and we were already nervous, frustrated and concerned about the wait time with it being a bank holiday. Thankfully, an engineer arrived within 30 minutes, confirmed the issue and that it sadly couldn’t be fixed.
“The pick-up arrived within the hour and took us back to a service station in the Midlands where another tow company was waiting and provided a taxi for the rest of the family as the tow truck only had one seat.”
Peace of mind provided should you ever break down
An estimated six million people require roadside assistance every year in the UK. This was the Clark family’s first experience of needing it and Matthew felt “very reassured” throughout thanks to the compassion and care shown by Sterling Breakdown and the recovery companies involved.
“From the very first phone call, every aspect of the experience turned what could have been a stressful situation into a much more manageable one, despite the heat,” said the Staffordshire-based driver.
“The team stood out not only for their efficiency but also for their compassion and flexibility, especially in accommodating our unique situation with two very young puppies. Their dedication and professionalism made a challenging day so much easier, and I am genuinely grateful for the outstanding support we received.”
Mr Clarke reserved further praise for drivers of the Eurotow and Oasis Recovery pick-up trucks. He said they were “friendly and eager to assist” while also being accommodating with the dogs so they could travel with the family rather than in a cage or the back of a van.
“We’re delighted that Matthew was so pleased with the service he received,” added Sterling manager Peter Cook following the incident on May 25.
“It doesn’t bear thinking about how difficult or different the day could have been had he not had breakdown cover. For as little as around £52 a year, you can save so much money and stress in the long run by paying a little right now for some peace of mind.”
Breakdown cover from just £52 a year with Sterling Insurance
People say it’s better to be safe than sorry and that’s certainly the case when it comes to breakdown cover. Lengthy waits trying to find a recovery service, on top of often hefty call-out charges, can be removed by taking out a Sterling Breakdown policy.
You don’t have to have your car or campervan insurance with Sterling either, although we find many drivers like to keep all of their motoring matters in one place. We’re happy to help either way.
Call 0344 381 9959 for a quick, no-hassle breakdown insurance quote or book a callback at a time that suits you.