With the terrible weather and flash flooding that we have been experiencing for weeks now, up and down the country, drivers that have found themselves stuck in floods have found themselves faced with around a £150 fee to be rescued! 

Drivers have been finding that unless they pay a fee to their breakdown providers (and the going rate is around £150) then they won’t come out to rescue their vehicle after becoming stranded. Thousands of motorists have had their cars conk out after their engines have become flooded; filters have become saturated with water therefore not allowing air to flow etc, in the past few weeks after driving through flooded roads. The AA reported that they rescued 1,600 stranded drivers in a ten day period. However, drivers caught out after driving down flooded roads have quickly found a less than sympathetic response from their breakdown cover provider when placing their emergency calls. 

In the majority of cases, drivers are finding that their policies are riddled with exclusions that they were not necessarily aware of— and others have huge grey areas with regard to helping customers. Many breakdown providers will not rescue cars stranded in the floods and others are stating that they will do so, only for those who cough up a £150 on-the-spot fee for the privilege. 

In other cases, drivers are told to claw back the money from their motor insurer provider — which could mean that you face losing your precious no-claims bonus or being hit by soaring insurance premiums at renewal time. Scott Kelly, head of motor at comparison site GoCompare, says: 

‘Drivers need to be aware that the cover available from breakdown companies varies considerably, so if you live in a flood-risk area, it is sensible to check your car and breakdown policy so that you know exactly what protection you have. ‘If you are unlucky enough to encounter flood water, don’t automatically assume your breakdown company will rescue you for free.’ 

The storms that have lashed Britain over the past month have caused chaos on the roads.


The roadside rescue industry class engine failure caused by driving through flood water as an accident not a breakdown. We recommend that you avoid any attempts to drive your vehicle through flooded roads. If you think that £150 is expensive to be rescued then imagine what you will feel when your vehicle requires a new engine? The costs can be astronomical. 

Can you afford to be without your vehicle whilst it is being repaired? Will your insurance company cover the cost of a new engine? Will your insurance company provide you with a courtesy vehicle whilst yours is being repaired? If your car is written off will the financial settlement be enough for you to purchase another vehicle? Will your car ever be the same after driving through flood water - the interior carpets and upholstery getting wet and damaged? The electrics getting wet and short fusing circuits? It’s a nightmare! 

The AA estimates that ¾ of all the vehicles stranded by the flood waters are likely to be written off. What if you only have a third party policy? It just doesn’t bear thinking about. So here at ACC UK Ltd we advise that you do not attempt to drive through the floods, either turn around and find another route or find a safe place to leave your vehicle until it is safe to drive. Driving faster through the water will not help either, so don’t attempt this either! If you have driven through flooded roads and you are experiencing problems with your vehicle then the best course of action is to take it to your local independent garage and get it checked over. 

Happy Motoring and Stay Safe Out There!