The breakdown assistance market in United Kingdom

The global vehicle assistance market, valued at $22.3 billion, was projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.8%, reaching $29 billion by 2026. In Belgium, the car maintenance and repair market, while not exclusively for vehicle assistance, similarly showed an increase from €3.59 billion to €4.30 billion. This growth can be attributed to an increase in vehicle ownership, especially in Europe and Asia, and the aging automotive fleet requiring more services, with the average car age in Belgium rising to 9.01 years. Demand drivers like fuel system issues (21.5% for new cars and 19.7% for used cars) and electrical installation problems significantly influence service requests. The Flemish region accounted for the most accidents per 1,000 inhabitants as compared to Brussels and Wallonia, suggesting a higher need for vehicle assistance services there. COVID-19 had a varying impact; traffic decreased, leading to lower immediate demand for assistance services, but issues like battery problems increased

Breakdown assistance comes into play when a user's vehicle breaks down, or after an accident. Assistance companies call in towing companies to help the user, in return for a fee that may or may not be covered by the insurance company.

The French breakdown assistance market is estimated at 3.3 billion euros. The global market is estimated at $25 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. Breakdown assistance accounts for nearly 60% of the national assistance market. 97% of the French market controlled by a handful of major players. Trends and key figures in the breakdown assistance market With demand for these services booming, insurance companies and car assistance firms play a crucial customer role for many towing companies. Demand for breakdown services is driven by factors such as the ageing fleet, digitization and the presence of assistance companies acting as intermediaries between stranded drivers and service providers. Every year, around 2.3 times more used vehicles are registered than new ones. The average age of used vehicles is 10.6 years. Specialized towing companies carry out more than 10,000 breakdown vehicles a year, and this figure is constantly rising. Prices for towing services vary accordin