Road to Recovery, a leading UK Accident Management Company, have developed an app for the iPhone which is designed to help customers save money on breakdown recovery. The application uses a customer's GPS to locate the position of the vehicle, and then contacts the firm's call centre to dispatch local recovery operatives to the scene.

The company, based in Barnsley, works on a 'pay as you go' basis, providing breakdown cover when customers need it, rather than making them pay for an extensive insurance plan. "When we introduced a breakdown recovery scheme that you only pay for when you need it, our competitors thought we were mad," says Paul Hoyle, MD of Road to Recovery. "We decided that people shouldn’t have to take a chance and pay for a service they may not use but, if they did need it, that it should be priced fairly."

The new app is designed to save the customer money in more ways than one, with the cost of recovery working out up to 50 percent cheaper than if an individual called the recovery company themselves. The Road to Recovery system works by providing a central link between recovery operators, who experience a higher volume of business, and motorists who are spared the cost of a service they may never use but have the reassurance that it is there should they need it. "We have now taken an innovative service and created an innovative way to access it through the App," says Hoyle. "We think it’s the future of breakdown cover."

Recent research from Santander has showed that one in eight motorists travelling during the bank holiday period in the UK do not have breakdown insurance. Gillian Almond, the head of current account services at the firm, has said, "With two long weekends so close to each other it's a great opportunity to get out on the road to visit family and friends or enjoy a driving holiday, but the fun could soon turn to tears if your car breaks down." David Williams, the CEO of GEM Motoring Assist, has urged motorists to get covered. "Breakdown cover does not have to be expensive," says Williams. "In fact there are lots of great value deals to take advantage of." The firm recommends that drivers check their battery, oil, lights, fuel and mirrors before setting off, to identify any problems before they occur.

Breakdown specialists, Green Flag, are also asking motorists to ensure that they have adequate cover. As more and more families are opting to drive to their holiday destinations, with the increased cost of flying, breakdown companies are preparing for more frequent calls for repairs. "It is vital that motorists ensure they have breakdown cover in place as the costs of recovery can end up making a holiday on a shoestring a very expensive getaway," says Henry Topham, the head of Green Flag.