When someone mentions roadside assistance, you may picture a car pulled over on the shoulder of the highway with smoke coming from its popped open hood and the panicked driver standing off to the side. However, it’s important to remember that contrary to its name, roadside assistance isn’t just for the side of the road.
Whether you’re on the highway, at home, or in a grocery store parking lot, you can utilize roadside wherever your vehicle is located – and for a wide range of issues. In some instances, roadside can also cover issues that have nothing to do with driving.
Here’s a deep dive of the typical services a roadside assistance program offers.
| Tows If your vehicle is completely disabled and needs to be transported to a repair facility or other location, a tow truck (a truck equipped to move or haul a broken down vehicle) will take it where it needs to go. This is called a tow. |
| Flat tires Whatever the cause, a professional will remove your flat tire and replace it with a good spare. You may be asked in advance if your vehicle has a spare tire that can be utilized. This way they can ensure that the service provider brings the proper spare that is needed. |
| Jump starts Jump starting is the method used to start the engine of a vehicle with a depleted battery. This involves creating a temporary connection through jumper cables either to another vehicle's battery or an external power source. |
| Fuel delivery If your vehicle has run out of fuel, fuel can be delivered directly to your location and safely reinstated into your vehicle to get it going again. |
| Vehicle lockouts If you’re locked out of your vehicle and don’t have a way of getting back in, a service provider or locksmith can unlock your vehicle without damaging it. |
| Winching A winch can be attached to the front or rear bumper of a vehicle, and its primary function is to utilize the cable tension to pull a vehicle out of a difficult situation–such as being stuck in mud, water, or a ditch. |
It’s important to keep in mind that not all roadside programs are alike, and various coverage limitations may apply to some of these services. For example, one roadside program may cover tows to the nearest repair facility plus an additional 50 miles while another will cover tows to the nearest repair facility plus an additional 100 miles. Similarly, one program may offer home lockouts as a basic coverage service whereas another may require an additional fee or upgrade to a different tier to include home lockouts as a service.
Make sure you reach out to your agent or carrier to understand the depth and breadth of your roadside coverage and options. Fully comprehending what your program entails will not only help you remember to utilize roadside when any of the above events occur, but can also help you save out-of-pocket costs by staying within coverage limits.