How a Roadside Assistance Plan Can Help You

How a Roadside Assistance Plan Can Help You

Summer road trip season is here! And the last thing you want is to end up on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire or mechanical trouble. Talk about putting a kink in your summer adventure plans! You can end up blowing your vacation budget — and then some — on repairs and temporary lodging.

That’s where emergency roadside assistance can be a huge help.

Here are the services you can expect to receive when you subscribe to a roadside assistance package or provider.

What is Roadside Assistance?

Roadside Assistance is a benefit that is designed to cover and assist drivers in the event that they the car they are driving breaks down and they are unable to continue on the road. Most insurance companies offer Roadside Assistance as an option — an add-on to a standard vehicle insurance policy.

With a comprehensive roadside assistance coverage plan, whether the problem is a dead battery, a flat tire, or a driver accidentally locks themselves out of the car or runs out of gas, help is just a phone call away.

Is Roadside Assistance Right for You?

When deciding whether roadside assistance is right for you, there are a couple of factors that you will want to consider: 

  • Vehicle Age: The older the vehicle, the more likely it is that parts will start to break, the more likely you are to use the benefits of roadside assistance plan. 
  • Daily Commute Distance: Do you drive in leisurely spurts or will you be logging in a lot of miles every day? The more miles per day, the more assurance that roadside assistance will provide. 
  • Convenience: No matter what the specific details of your trip, roadside assistance will provide anybody heading out on a summer road trip with the comfort that comes with peace of mind.

What’s Included In Standard Roadside Assistance Plans?

Typical Roadside Assistance packages cover the cost of a basic attempt on the part of a service professional to get a stopped vehicle running again.

These services may include the following, depending on provider: 

  • Towing Services: Used when the service professional cannot get the car started, the vehicle requires extensive repairs, or cannot be driven safely 
  • Battery-Jump Start Services: Covers the cost of a service professional coming to the site where the car is stuck and jump-starting the battery
  • Flat-Tire Repairs or Replacement: Covers the cost of a service professional coming out to the site where a flat tire occurred to repair or replace the tire
  • Lockout or Locksmith Services: In the case that a driver loses their keys or locks the keys in the vehicle
  • Fuel Delivery Service: Covers the cost of delivering fuel to a driver who runs out of fuel while on the road
  • Winching: This covers the cost of removing a vehicle from the location where it became stuck in a ditch, snowbank or other areas where you need help to retrieve your car

Emergency roadside assistance plans generally cover up to $125 per event if your car becomes disabled and services are performed by a commercial garage, locksmith or wrecker. For example, should your car end up requiring other services, part of the bill will sometimes be included in the assistance coverage. Roadside Assistance will also help cover some of your lodging costs in case your trip is interrupted.

At Alliance Direct Benefits, we include roadside assistance with your Alliance Value Plan.
Alliance Members get access to helpful extras, including access to comprehensive Trip-Planning Services. Our Trip Interruption Reimbursement Plan provides up to $250 per member ($500 maximum) through the Association Motor Plan if your vehicle is disabled due to a collision that occurs 100 miles or more from home. These funds will reimburse you for meals, lodging, car rental, and commercial transportation.

Roadside Assistance is one of many membership benefits meant to give you peace of mind when you hit the road this summer. And all year round. Other features of our unique, comprehensive Alliance Member benefits package include 24/7 doctor access, global emergency services, ID theft resolution, free and discounted legal services and more.  Call us at 1-800-733-2242 (M-F, 7am-5: 30 pm Central Time) or visit the Alliance Direct Benefits website to join today!