Roadside assistance, as the name suggests, are services meant to help motor vehicle owners when their cars develop problems on the roadside, in parking lots or at home. This is an available option provided by most insurance policy plans. In such cases, the insurance company partners with an existing business that offers nationwide insurance roadside assistance or employs a team to arrange for the services on their client’s behalf.
The service provider dispatched to offer the general roadside assistance depends on the vehicle, location and pending circumstance. However, the closest and appropriate service provider is often dispatched. With this, adding roadside assistance to your motor vehicle insurance policy will provide several beneficial services, including battery service, lockout service, fuel delivery, flat tire, and towing.
What Does Roadside Assistance Service Include?
As mentioned, most insurance policies, including cheap full coverage insurance and low-income car insurance Texas, offer roadside assistance packages. Roadside assistance professionals attempt to make minor mechanical adjustments and repairs to make the vehicle drivable again before major repairs are undertaken. Such services are essential, especially with the seemingly infinite potential problems that can go wrong with a car.
Some of the common nationwide insurance roadside assistance services include :
- Towing Services : If your car gets severely damaged and roadside assistance fails to make it driveable to the next safe place, towing becomes necessary. Depending on the roadside assistance provider offering the services, they can tow the vehicle to a mechanic within a limited distance. If you need the vehicle towed beyond their provided limit, they will offer the services at an extra fee.
- Flat Tires : Tire bursts and punctures are unavoidable. If such happens, you can count on the help of roadside assistance. Members of roadside insurance for acceptance insurance, for instance, will enjoy the services of a professional who will get to the location and replace the damaged tire with a spare on the vehicle. However, note that the roadside assistance doesn’t cover flat tires for motorcycle, any two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicles.
- Battery Jump-Start Service : Except for electric cars, battery-operated vehicles may require jump-start services. Before requesting for this, however, ensure that you check the manufacturer’s advice. Some battery and car manufacturers warn against jump-starting their batteries, recommending a complete replacement of the battery. Electric cars, on the other hand, operate differently than most vehicles and have few qualified roadside service professionals.
- Lockout and Locksmith Services : Situations happen, and you could find yourself lockout out of your own car. Well, if such happens, roadside service professionals come in handy to help the driver open their vehicle. Professionals use a pump wedge or long reach tool to unlock the door. If the professional’s attempts fail, a locksmith is then called. Some roadside insurance assistance will cover the locksmith’s charges, partially cover the cost or may not at all.
- Fuel Delivery : This is provided to drivers who exhaust their gas during their trips. A professional is dispatched to your location with enough fuel to take your car to the next gas station. Some roadside assistance services charge for the fuel while others use the current pump’s price to determine the fees transferable to the stranded person.
- Winching Services : This is necessary when removing a stuck or constrained vehicle. This service requires specialized vehicles. If it requires more than one vehicle to dislodge the stuck vehicle, some additional costs are included.
Should I Get Nationwide Roadside Assistance With My Car Insurance?
There are varying and conflicting expert opinions about the prudence of getting roadside assistance with a car insurer. However, first things first, this totally depends on the age of the vehicle, commuting distance and convenience. Besides, several auto clubs, auto insurance companies, manufacturers and even credit card issuers’ offer roadside assistance should your vehicle break down.
Therefore, it is of much essence to compare various roadside assistance programs for differences among the clubs and companies offering the services. That aside, below are some of the things that should be considered before getting road assistance with car insurer.
- Age of vehicle : Brand new vehicles within their first few years can do without major roadside assistance. Besides, some car manufacturers have roadside emergency service that is complimentary for the first few years or miles covered. You can as well pay for minor issues such as being locked out from the vehicle. However, roadside assistance is a good investment for old vehicles.
- Commute Distance : You should also consider the daily commute distance you cover before getting roadside assistance from your car insurer. If you work within your home or town, there are less worries. However, if you are a fun of weekend jaunts and trips to distant places, it is wise to have a professional network to reach in case of problems.
- Convenience : If you highly regard convenience, it is important to add some roadside assistance to your insurance policy. This will save you from the trouble of finding nearest service professionals if the need arises. Most people underappreciate this, especially with the increased emergence of computers and smartphones. However, locating professionals on your own may not be as easy as having a roadside assistance network. This is true, especially if you are stranded in the dark with inclement weather.
- Cost : Joining a roadside assistance program saves individuals from incurring a lot of service fees. This is practical if you take the assistance program from your car insurance company as they can waive off some discounts.
To Sum it Up
Having a nationwide insurance roadside assistance program is a prudent idea that most car owners ignore. The fact that most car insurance companies offer this as a policy add-on makes it easy and straightforward. However, note that the benefits offered by the various companies vary greatly.
Apart from the insurance policy add-on option, you can as well get the program through purchasing a roadside membership or getting the pay-per-use alternative. Each of the options come with varying benefits, limits, features and prices. Having this protection provides peace of mind, especially for long-distance drivers who often worry about unanticipated events in the road.