When you come to buy a car insurance policy these days you are often faced with a wide array of potential add-ons, clauses and quotes. There's so much to sift through when weighing up the best possible cover for your vehicle that it is easy to miss some of the most important aspects - such as car breakdown assistance.

When you're buying insurance you are of course looking to make sure you're covered in the event of a crash, scrape or theft. Whilst you might only do it out of a legal obligation, there's no need to opt for the most basic option. You should take a look into the options available, calculate a budget and ensure that you get good value and full coverage.

There are a number of advantages in including car breakdown assistance with your insurance policy for instance. Most notably is cost.

Whilst there is often a small premium on top of the standard policy cost, this is swallowed up by the overall charge. Therefore you'll always be aware of how much you're spending for the entire policy, not just the single elements.

In terms of buying the individual components separately (i.e. insurance and breakdown cover) you should see a saving. This is because most insurers will have tie-ins with other companies to provide third party coverage, allowing them to reduce costs. That is of course if your insurer isn't also a breakdown company of course - many actually offer both.

Of course there's not a great deal of value in purchasing a policy with breakdown assistance attached if it is far more expensive than the next best quote you're received. If that is the case then you should consider purchasing separately; this way you can enjoy the best of both worlds - good value and excellent coverage.

Breakdown cover after all is about complete peace of mind. As we've established, insurance might be on hand to help you when you've had a knock or scrape, but if you end up on the hard shoulder of a motorway because your engine has given up, it won't be much use.

If you do have an issue with your vehicle it is imperative that it gets moved quickly, both for your convenience and due to highway rules. In the event that you don't have breakdown assistance cover, you will have to phone a local recovery company to tow your vehicle to the nearest available garage. This, as you might expect, is an extremely expensive alternative.

When you are fully covered you've always got something to fall back on. There's a quick, convenient number to call and the operator will be able to let you know how long it will be until a mechanic can get out to you.

Better still they might even be able to do any repairs at the side of the road (assuming it is safe to do so), which can see you get back on your way in no time. If not, the recovery service will take your stricken car to a garage - possibly of your choosing - to get repairs. The amount of extras you get - such as onward journey or overnight accommodation - will depend wholly on the policy you've taken out.

So if you don't want to encounter the nightmarish scenario of breaking down without somebody to call, it's best to get yourself covered. If you can get that bundled in with your car insurance policy and save a little money in the process, all the better.

It is extremely important that you have the level of cover that makes you feel most comfortable and pay a price that is within your budget constraints. Therefore be sure to shop around and look at what each policy actually offers. Remember, the cheapest quote might not always offer the greatest value - add-ons like breakdown cover should not be overlooked lightly.