Roadside Assistance Programs
Roadside assistance programs are special features that every vehicle owner should have for his vehicle. They are programs that provide a person with help if anything happens that prevents him from either getting into the vehicle when he needs to or operating the vehicle properly once he gets in it. There are generally two types of roadside assistance plans a person can get. One type comes from the person's insurance company. Roadside insurance services are separate from regular insurance policies, but their monthly fee usually goes on the person's auto insurance bill. The other type of roadside assistance comes from separate companies. These roadside insurance companies often just offer roadside assistance services and nothing else. Members can sign up for a yearly plan or a monthly plan depending on the provider's setup. The roadside insurance services cover situations such as:
Tire Blowouts and Flats
Flat tires and blowouts are common occurrences that roadside assistance addresses. A driver will come out for a person who has a roadside assistance plan and replace the tire with a spare so that the driver can get to his destination.
Dead Batteries
Batteries often die because of age, poor alternators or user errors such as leaving the lights or radio on overnight. A trusted mechanic can come out and use a jump box to get the customer's car up and running again.
Car Lockouts
Embarrassing car lockouts happen all the time. The good news is that car lockouts service are available to members who lock themselves out of their cars. With roadside assistance, a vehicle owner won't have to sit outside of his car for long. Someone will come and use the least invasive method to provide car lockouts service to get that person back on the road ASAP.
Fuel Issues
A driver may run out of gas because of a broken gas gauge or another problem such as waiting too long to stop for a fill-up. No matter what the problem is, a roadside assistance plan can cover the situation. Someone can come out and fill the car up with just enough gas to get the person back on the road.
Towing and Removal
Some customers may just need to get their vehicles to the nearest service station because it's not possible for them to perform the repair in the spot where they are stuck. Roadside assistance programs can send a towing truck out to take the car to a repair shop within a certain distance.
Each of the roadside insurance companies has its own stipulations about monthly cost, the towing distance and the number of visits a person can have within one year's time. Some companies restrict the number of visits to four per year. Others may provide some additional visits. The best thing for a vehicle owner to do is to make sure that he contacts the provider and requests specific plan details so that he knows what he's getting out of the package. Many companies offer these services, so he should be able to find something reasonable quickly.