Understanding Your Vehicle

Posted on: 29 May 2018

Many people on the roadways today wonder whether they ought to have emergency roadside assistance -- but they may not consider it seriously until there's actually an emergency that requires prompt attention. Whilst roadside assistance isn't absolutely necessary for everyone, it's a wise purchase for most people. Ask yourself the following three questions to determine whether you need to purchase this type of protection now. 

1. Do You Get This Kind of Coverage Elsewhere?

Before you purchase an emergency roadside assistance policy, make sure that you don't already have coverage. Ask your auto insurance provider whether emergency roadside assistance is included in your policy. Whilst it's usually not included, some companies do include this type of cover as an add-on option and you may have purchased it already. Some credit cards also provide roadside assistance as part of their benefits, so ask your credit card providers if you're covered by them already.

If either your insurance company or your credit card provider gives you emergency roadside assistance already, be sure to get the details about the coverage so you can compare it to the kind of coverage you would purchase. In some cases, the coverage provided is fairly minimal, so it's still worth it to purchase a separate policy.

2. Have You Spent Money on Towing in the Last Year?

One way to determine whether an emergency roadside assistance policy makes sense for you is to consider how many times those type of services have been needed in the last year or so. For example, have you needed any of the following services?

• Vehicle towing whilst your car is broken down
• Locksmith services whilst you're locked out of your vehicle
• Delivery of petrol whilst stranded
• Tyre change for a blown or damaged tyre
• Battery jump start when your car has a dead battery

The services above are typically covered by an emergency roadside assistance plan. Just using such services a few times over the course of a year can be quite costly if you're paying cash -- in fact, it might just be cheaper to pay a monthly fee to get emergency roadside assistance that would cover the cost when these things happen.

3. How Old Is Your Vehicle?

If your vehicle is brand new, or at least less than a year old, the odds are much lower that you'll have problems right now. A brand new vehicle is far less likely to have mechanical trouble, for example. This may lead you to delay the purchase of an emergency roadside assistance plan right now. However, bear in mind that even brand new tyres can be damaged or blow whilst on the road -- and you can also have mishaps like running out of petrol at any time. For many new vehicle owners, it still makes sense to purchase the extra peace of mind that comes along with an emergency roadside assistance plan.