Roadside Assistance And Your Insurance Policy

Before you take off on a road trip or even commute around town, if you are left on the side of the road what would you do? Of course, if you have a family member or a friend nearby, you could call them. But what if you are out of town and need roadside help?

There are a couple different options where your insurance policy or a motor club could help save the day.

What is the best option for you?

First, many people use the term full coverage and assume that towing or roadside is automatically included in full coverage. I have talked about this before. There is no button that your agent hits that says full coverage. Each coverage on your policy is a la carte. The towing is no different.

Most of the standard auto insurance companies now offer roadside assistance and not just towing reimbursement. What is the difference you may ask? Towing reimbursement is just that. If you need to have your vehicle towed, you would call a tow provider of your choice and pay them and then take your receipt to your insurance company and they will mail you a check up to the limits of your policy.

Roadside assistance works more like a motor club. You call a toll-free number that is provided by your insurance company. They have a list of preferred providers that are contracted with them. Most are nationwide so no matter where you are you will get a reputable service provider that will come to help you. You typically do not have to pay up front; they will take care of your needs such as a tow, fuel delivery (to get you to the next filling station), tire change, jump start, etc. Every company has different rules for towing. Some have a mileage limit — like up to 15 miles or to the nearest retail provider for your needs. Others have a dollar limit — for example $50, $75 or $100 and how far that will take you is up to the tow truck driver and what rates they charge. There is probably a predetermined contract rate that has already been negotiated by your insurance company with the tow company.

You will need to talk to your insurance agent and discuss the options provided by the insurance company you are insured with.

If you have liability only — or if you are insured by a company that offers towing reimbursement and you would rather have a true roadside assistance — then you can opt for a motor club.

The motor club usually costs a little more, but the benefits are better. It works like a roadside assistance package in that you don't have to pay upfront for the services. It covers more than just towing, fueling, tire change and jump starts. Many have benefits like trip interruption, roadside hazard reimbursement for tires, bail bonds and even CarFax reports.

One other big difference is on your auto policy you put the coverage on each vehicle. The motor club you purchase on yourself. What that means is no matter what car you are in, you can get service. Even if you are in a friend's car and are stuck on the side of the road, you can call your motor club. For this reason each plan has a maximum number of calls you can use per year.

If you have a question about what plan is best for you, give us a call:

Select Insurance, LLC