Roadside Assistance and Accident Information

Roadside Assistance & Accident Information

Roadside assistance is a service that provides help to motorists whose cars or other vehicles have endured a mechanical problem. The mechanical problem is most of the time serious enough to strand said motorists at their present location. In many areas, the service is offered by commercial service providers that are in competition; this service is purchased with a set yearly fee. Other areas feature the same service, often times offered through your insurance company. Some states also have free roadside assistance trucks on their highways that will help with minor vehicle issues such as flat tires.

What to do if you break down and need roadside assistance

If your car breaks down by the side of the road, the chances are that a motor club card immediately becomes one of the most valued possessions. The reasons for any car or vehicle breaking down can be numerous and can include factors like overheating, a flat tire, or the aftereffects of a roadside accident. First of all, stranded motorists ought to stay calm, even if it may be hard to make the best decisions and think clearly at the time. While roadside assistance is one possibility at the moment, it is not always required, even in the case of car problems.

When a car or other vehicle breaks down by the side of the road, motorists are advised to take these four steps in order. One, they should initially assess whether the damage to the automobile (in the case of a fender-bender) is serious enough to call roadside assistance. If the car is still operable, then motorists should drive it to the nearest garage themselves. Two, if a motorist decides that they need roadside assistance, they have to ensure that she actually receives roadside assistance coverage under her car insurance or warranty. If they does not, then it will cost them extra to pay for the services of a towing company that offers 24-hour assistance.

Third, if the damage to the car is severe enough, then roadside assistance should be dialed. A smart first step is to call the auto club the stranded motorist is a member of. Alternately, phone calls to a nearby towing companies, as well as a local mechanic garage are other options for the motorist looking for roadside assistance if they do not belong to a roadside assistance club. Finally, the fourth step that you should take is to minimize the chances of anxiety in the case of future car breakdowns. This involves learning basic maintenance, such as how to change a flat tire independently so that the need for roadside assistance is lessened.

History of roadside assistance/emergency roadside repair

The history of roadside assistance evolved out of what were, initially, the services that national motoring organizations would offer their earliest members. National motoring organizations are groups such as the American Automobile Association from the United States (founded in 1902), the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club from Germany (founded in 1903), the Canadian Automobile Association from Canada (founded in 1913), and the Automobile Association from the United Kingdom (founded in 1905). The original history of many of these national motoring organizations was to simply provide a member-based club where early motorist enthusiasts could find common ground. Services like roadside assistance and emergency roadside repair were actually offered by these organizations at a later date in their history. One of the first types of roadside assistance services that national motoring organizations offered their members was the availability of fleets of assistance vehicles.

What to keep in your glove box or trunk to assist you in an emergency situation

Even if a motorist enjoys roadside assistance coverage and service, the service may not get to them in time in the case of inclement weather. In these cases, it is extremely valuable to keep emergency items in the car in order to deal with whatever situation is being faced, at least until the roadside assistance service can get out to a stranded motorist. Since many people live in their cars because they commute a lot of the time, it makes sense to be prepared. What to keep inside a car’s trunk or glove box for an emergency situation revolves around a list that is quite extensive.

One of the first essentials to keep inside the car is a battery-operated radio; these are useful for reports on emergency situations as well for bad weather reports. Blankets are another necessity in the event that a stranded motorist has to wait some time before roadside assistance can reach them. While many motorists probably do not have these, it is still a prudent idea to keep road flares in the car for any instance when a stranded motorist needs to change a tire and be seen by other motorists at night. Still other essentials include non-equipment supplies such as basic food and water; food that lasts a long time like nuts or granola bars are always a good thing to have when waiting for roadside help. Other items to keep in the car encompass more basic supplies like WD-40, jumper cables, a shovel, cold-weather clothing like gloves and hats, a portable battery charger, duct tape, a flashlight, towels, and a first-aid kit.

Services offered by most roadside assistance companies

The services offered by most roadside assistance companies run the gamut from the very small to the quite considerable. In cases where motorists have accidentally locked their keys inside their cars, need towing assistance, have run out of gas, or just have a flat tire, roadside assistance can help. Most companies provide towing services, but some have different towing allowances. These are the distances that said companies’ tow truck will tow a stranded motorist’s car to the nearest service station for a flat fee. If a company’s tow truck must tow the vehicle beyond their limits, they will usually then charge an extra dollar amount per additional mile.

Other services that most roadside assistance companies provide are more diversified. These include a battery jump start, a vehicle extraction and winching, lockout service, flat tire assistance, fuel delivery, and even minor roadside adjustments. Many companies also cap the number of times in a year that motorists can claim for roadside assistance in just one membership year: If this number is exceeded, the payment scheme becomes a “pay-as-you-go” basis. Other companies also provide reimbursement offers of various amounts to members who need assistance, yet are not helped because a provider is not available in a certain area.

Safety when waiting for roadside assistance

Staying safe when waiting for roadside assistance should be one of the paramount goals of all stranded motorists. Taking certain precautions to stay safe until the proverbial cavalry that is roadside assistance finally arrives is vital to personal safety. Generally, there are two, main situations in which stranded motorists find themselves. Stranded motorists can experience problems with their vehicles either in the middle of traffic or in a more isolated area.

Stranded motorists who are broken down in traffic should make it a priority to get their car as far away from traffic as possible, or to get it into a special lane, if possible. Other safety tips include activating the car’s hazard lights, not attempting to push the car alone, waiting under shade during hot weather, and using a mobile phone to call for roadside assistance. Stranded motorists who are broken down in more isolated areas should make it a point to stay in their cars. Other safety tips include never opening the car’s doors for any approaching strangers, locking all doors, and getting out of the car only when certain that a roadside assistance vehicle has arrived.

AAA Service

The American Automobile Association is now more frequently called the AAA. It is best regarded as a federation of independently managed motor clubs that operate throughout North America. With more than 51 million members, AAA is a not-for-profit organization that mainly provides emergency roadside services to its members, though additional member services include discounts, financial, travel, and insurance related services.

AAA was established back on March 4, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois. Its founding occurred when nine local motor clubs with an overall membership of 1500 people joined forces to start the organization; this banding together was a direct response in protest of an insufficient amount of suitable highways and roads in the area. The first Triple A road maps and hotel guides appeared in 1905 and 1917, respectively. 1936 saw AAA publish the first driver education curriculum that high schools could incorporate into their lesson plans. It has a long history of patriotism and duty to country such as in World War II, where the organization committed resources like highway information to national defense planning efforts, which it also provided in World War I. In more current times, AAA received accolades during the 1980s for their mappings services, the 1990s saw the organization lauded by then-President Clinton as his administration’s number one traffic safety partner, and the early 2000s resulted in the AAA being appointed to the White House Conference on Aging for its efforts in assisting senior citizens in staying mobile longer and staying safe.

Today, AAA showers its members with all sorts of perks for being a member. These perks are seen in, among other things, decent discounts for many local car-related businesses and services. The price of membership is merely an annual fee of $48 along with a new-member charge of $20. The cost for either is subject to change based on which part of the US you live in; the preceding information is based on membership rate information for Southern California members. The contact information for people wanting to become AAA members is 1-877-428-2277, and new members may also contact AAA through their website by filling out an inquiry form.

Emergency Roadside Assistance Help Numbers

Many providers of roadside assistance service have national numbers that members can call if they ever need to ask for aid to come to them in case they become stranded motorists. Not all providers of roadside assistance are created equal. This means that some providers offer better or worse rates than others and present customers with a list of different features. Here are the national numbers of some prominent emergency roadside assistance companies:

Accident checklist

  1. See if you or anyone else with you in the car was injured in the car accident. If anyone needs medical help, call 911 at once and do not move anyone if they are unconscious. In the unenviable event that someone must be moved, do make sure that their head and neck is supported at all times during the move.
  2. Secure yourself by getting out of the way of any traffic.
  3. Call 911 if the car accident involves injury or death.
  4. Get personal and contact information from other drivers and witnesses involved in the car accident.
  5. Get information from policemen, like their badge number, and their name.
  6. Record the car-accident information. This includes recording factors like the time and date of the accident as well as the specific model, year and make information of the cars involved.
  7. Shoot pictures of everything involved in the car accident. This includes taking photos of every driver and every car involved in the car accident. It further involves shooting pictures of such things as skid marks, signs of damage, and the site of the car accident.
  8. Make an appointment to see a doctor.
  9. Be sure to speak with your own insurance company before speaking with the other drivers' company.
  10. Draw a car accident diagram.

Experiencing a roadside problem that necessitates roadside assistance can be a tricky and harrowing situation. The more prepared a motorist is, the better they will be able to emerge from the incident with their interests well-guarded. A sizable part of being well-prepared includes being a member of a good roadside assistance company.

To learn more about roadside assistance, consult this link.

How to use and pick a roadside assistance program wisely