I've broken down and I have breakdown cover — who do I call?

Call the emergency number for whoever your policy is with. This page lists the current UK emergency lines for every major provider — AA, RAC, Green Flag, Start Rescue, GEM, Britannia Rescue, ETA, Saga, AutoAid, and Emergency Assist.

I've broken down and I don't have breakdown cover — what now?

The AA and RAC both sell instant on-the-spot cover — you buy it at the roadside and they come out. It's more expensive than buying cover in advance. If you're on a motorway or major A-road, National Highways (0300 123 5000) can also help with hazards and obstructions. Local independent recovery firms can tow you to a garage on a pay-and-claim basis.

I've broken down on a motorway — is it safe to stay in the car?

If you can get to the hard shoulder or an emergency refuge area, get everyone out of the vehicle and behind the safety barrier — never stand between the car and the traffic. Wear high-vis if you have it. On smart motorways without a hard shoulder, if you can't reach a refuge, stay in the car with seatbelts on, put your hazards on and call 999. Then call your breakdown provider.

I don't know which breakdown provider I'm with — how do I check?

Three quick places to look: search your email for "breakdown cover" or "policy documents"; check your bank or credit-card statement for a recurring debit to a provider name; log in to your car insurer's dashboard — many people have breakdown cover as an add-on to their motor insurance without realising it.

When should I call 999 instead of my breakdown provider?

Call 999 if there's an immediate risk to life — you're stuck in a live lane on a smart motorway and can't get behind the barrier, someone in the vehicle is hurt, or there's fire/smoke/fuel smell. 112 works from any mobile across Europe if you're broken down abroad.

Utility · verified 28 Jul 2026

UK breakdown numbers — who to call when you’ve broken down

If you already have breakdown cover, call your provider on the number below. If you don’t, skip to the no-cover section.

Quick reference — all providers

Provider	UK emergency	From abroad	Hours	App alternative
AA	0333 000 4646	—	24/7	Yes — search "AA" in your app store
RAC	0333 2000 999	—	24/7	Yes — RAC Route Planner app
Green Flag	0800 028 1414	+44 141 349 0516	24/7	Yes — Green Flag app
Start Rescue	0333 320 0975	+44 1206 655 000	24/7	No dedicated app; app-free web claim form
AutoAid	0800 170 0400	—	24/7	No dedicated app
ETA Breakdown	0333 000 1234	—	24/7	No dedicated app
GEM Motoring Assist	0330 999 2505	+44 1206 785 805	24/7	No dedicated app
Britannia Rescue	0330 678 7116	—	24/7	LV= app (Britannia is LV=-underwritten)
Saga (policy no. starts 10)	0800 068 1966	+44 1303 757 308	24/7	No dedicated app
Saga (policy no. starts M — RAC-managed)	0345 217 6433	+33 4 72 43 52 55	24/7	RAC Route Planner app
Emergency Assist	01945 586228	—	24/7	No dedicated app

All numbers verified 28 Jul 2026 from each provider’s own contact page.

Provider by provider

AA

📞 0333 000 4646

Text service: 07860 027 999

Hours: 24/7 · App: Yes — search "AA" in your app store

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Text service for hearing-impaired callers. Not an AA member yet? The AA's breakdown cover pages say "call us 24/7 for instant cover: 03330 046 046" (checked 22 October 2026).

Read our full review of AA → · Source: www.theaa.com

RAC

📞 0333 2000 999

Hours: 24/7 · App: Yes — RAC Route Planner app

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of RAC → · Source: www.rac.co.uk

Green Flag

📞 0800 028 1414

From abroad: +44 141 349 0516

Hours: 24/7 · App: Yes — Green Flag app

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

International number is Glasgow-based European breakdown line

Read our full review of Green Flag → · Source: www.greenflag.com

Start Rescue

📞 0333 320 0975

From abroad: +44 1206 655 000

Hours: 24/7 · App: No dedicated app; app-free web claim form

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of Start Rescue → · Source: www.startrescue.co.uk

AutoAid

📞 0800 170 0400

Hours: 24/7

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of AutoAid → · Source: www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk

ETA Breakdown

📞 0333 000 1234

Hours: 24/7

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of ETA Breakdown → · Source: www.eta.co.uk

GEM Motoring Assist

📞 0330 999 2505

From abroad: +44 1206 785 805

Hours: 24/7

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of GEM Motoring Assist → · Source: www.motoringassist.com

Britannia Rescue

📞 0330 678 7116

Hours: 24/7 · App: LV= app (Britannia is LV=-underwritten)

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of Britannia Rescue → · Source: www.britanniarescue.com

Saga (policy no. starts 10)

📞 0800 068 1966

From abroad: +44 1303 757 308

Hours: 24/7

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Read our full review of Saga (policy no. starts 10) → · Source: www.saga.co.uk

Saga (policy no. starts M — RAC-managed)

📞 0345 217 6433

From abroad: +33 4 72 43 52 55

Hours: 24/7 · App: RAC Route Planner app

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Saga breakdown split across two administrators; check your policy number to know which line to call

Read our full review of Saga (policy no. starts M — RAC-managed) → · Source: www.saga.co.uk

Emergency Assist

📞 01945 586228

Hours: 24/7

Have ready: your policy number, your car’s registration, your exact location (Google Maps pin or motorway marker post).

Local rate (01945 = Wisbech area code)

Read our full review of Emergency Assist → · Source: emergencyassistltd.co.uk

I don’t have breakdown cover — what now?

You can still get help. It’ll cost more than buying cover in advance, but it’s not the disaster it feels like at the roadside.

On-the-spot cover from the AA or RAC

Both the AA and RAC will sell you cover right now, at the roadside, and dispatch an engineer. Expect to pay a significant premium (~£150-£250 typically) versus buying cover in advance. Same emergency numbers as above:

AA on-the-spot: 0333 000 4646 — say you don’t have cover
RAC on-the-spot: 0333 2000 999 — same

Local pay-and-claim recovery

Any local recovery firm will tow you to a garage of your choice; you pay them directly. Often cheaper than provider on-the-spot cover, but you get whoever’s available rather than a branded service. Search for “vehicle recovery” plus your area.

On a motorway or major A-road: National Highways

National Highways: 0300 123 5000 — free from any phone. Not a breakdown provider — report hazards on motorways and major A-roads. Free from any phone; use if you're in a live lane and unsafe, or to report obstructions.

If you’ve broken down on a motorway

Get off the carriageway if you can. Aim for the hard shoulder or an emergency refuge area (small blue-signed lay-bys).
Get everyone out of the vehicle — exit on the passenger side, well away from live traffic.
Stand behind the safety barrier — never between the car and the traffic. Wear high-vis if you have it.
On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder: if you can’t reach a refuge area, stay in the car with seatbelts on, put your hazards on, and call 999.
Call 999 immediately if there’s an immediate risk to life. From a mobile abroad, use 112. Only if there's an immediate risk to life — you're stuck in a live lane and can't get behind the barrier, someone is hurt, or you can smell fuel/smoke. 112 works from mobiles across Europe.
Then call your breakdown provider using the number in the table above.

The fuller sequence — where to stop, what the operator needs from you, and what happens once the patrol arrives — is in what to do if you break down.

Kerb Wise verdict

Been let down by your provider?

If you’ve had a bad breakdown experience, waiting until renewal to switch usually means paying for a bad provider for another year. Look up alternatives now — cancellation refunds are common.

Out of pocket for a hire car, a hotel or a recovery you paid for yourself? See how to make a breakdown claim — what to collect, and when to push back.

Compare breakdown providers →

Not sure who you’re with?

Three quick places to check

Search your email for “breakdown cover” or “policy documents”
Check your bank/credit-card statement for a recurring debit
Log in to your car insurer’s dashboard — breakdown is often an add-on you forgot about

Numbers on this page are verified from each provider’s own published contact information. If any of them are out of date, please let us know and we’ll re-check. Last full pass: 28 Jul 2026.