Don't worry, we'll get you home
For many motorists joining a breakdown association gives peace of mind and the knowledge you can be rescued and transported to where you need to be.
Apparently not - following the introduction of EU health and safety laws.
That's because rescue organisations, who normally offer a guarantee of a lift home in the event of a breakdown, are leaving drivers stranded at service stations.
The new rules forbid drivers of commercial vehicles, including rescue tow trucks, from travelling more than 62 miles (100km) from their bases unless the vehicle is fitted with a tachograph.
Both the AA and RAC - the UK's two largest Breakdown services - use hundreds of trucks which are not fitted with the equipment.
As a result, they are dropping off "rescued" drivers when only part-way home, and telling them to wait for another truck to take them on the next leg of their trip.
Nigel Humphries, of the Association of British Drivers, said: "It is a ridiculous situation and yet another example of health and safety legislation being taken too far. There is no common sense or balance to these laws."
A spokesman for the AA said: "For those members who require a long distance recovery, the legislation does sometimes affect its duration, as additional changeovers are required."
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