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Breakdowns

Breakdown is an unfortunate fact of motoring life - no matter how new or well-maintained the car.

123.ie has arranged a motoring assistance service to help policyholders. This cover is available on our Comprehensive & Third Party Fire & Theft policies.

In the event of an emergency resulting from an accident or breakdown just call the 'Motor Emergency Helpline' on 01 241 8572 and a garage from an approved network will provide the necessary assistance. The 123.ie Roadside Assistance will cover the costs of call out charges, 1 hour’s labour at the roadside and the towing of your car to the nearest repairer.

What to do if you breakdown

  • Try to pull off the road and park in a safe place.
  • Put on the hazard warning lights and gather your thoughts before calling for help.
  • Put a warning triangle on the road at least 45 meters (147 feet) behind your broken down vehicle on the same side of the road. Always take care when putting a warning triangle behind your vehicle. Never use a warning triangle on a motorway.
  • Keep your sidelights on if it is dark or visibility is poor.
  • Lock the doors and call for help from your mobile phone or from a payphone.

What to do if you breakdown on a motorway

  • Pull onto the hard shoulder as far away from the inside lane as possible.
  • Turn your front wheels towards the hard shoulder.
  • Try to stop near an emergency phone.
  • Switch on your hazard warning lights.
  • Keep your sidelights on if it is dark or visibility is poor.
  • Get out of your car on the passenger side.
  • Keep passengers away from the motorway and keep children under control.
  • Keep pets safe in the car or, in an emergency, keep them under proper control on the verge.
  • Walk to an emergency phone on your side of the motorway (follow the arrows on the posts at the back of the hard shoulder). These phones are free and connect directly to the police who can work out where you are. As a result, it's better to use them rather than a mobile.
  • Face oncoming traffic while on the phone.
  • After phoning, return to your car and wait a safe distance from the road.
  • If you're traveling alone and feel at risk, you may want to wait in the front passenger seat with the doors locked. If someone approaches, wind down your window a little to talk to them. Only unlock the door once you're sure that they are genuine.
  • Before you rejoin the motorway after a breakdown, build up speed on the hard shoulder and watch for a safe gap in the traffic. Be aware that other vehicles may have stopped on the hard shoulder.

My123
With My123, you can manage your policy through your own personalised account. In the event of a breakdown, where you need to get covered on a temporary vehicle because your car is in the garage, you can log into your personal My123 account and make this change yourself. 24/7 access, no need to call, no wait times. As the policy holder, all you need to do is register yourself on My123. 

Just bear in mind that if you are changing to a car that is under 2000cc which has been provided to you by a registered garage or vehicle repairer for up to 7 days, while your car is being serviced or repaired, you don’t need to need to arrange for a temporary substitution on your policy with us! However, this guideline is subject to a few conditions:

  • The vehicle has not been modified from the standard specification in any way
  • The vehicle is a right-hand drive
  • The vehicle has a valid NCT (if applicable)
  • The vehicle is not used for Hire or Reward
  • And that the vehicle cover is not provided by the Insurance Policy of the garage or vehicle repairer

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