Does my auto insurance cover towing and roadside assistance?

Ending up on the side of the road with a flat tire or dead battery (read our “Does auto insurance cover a dead battery?” for more information) is an absolute nightmare. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about getting assistance when needed. But, does your auto insurance cover towing and roadside assistance?

This question is worth a little exploration as to what exactly your auto insurance will cover in the event of your vehicle suffering a failure. With some research, you should be able to find affordable roadside assistance coverage in your area with a company you trust.

Auto Insurance for Towing and Roadside Assistance

Your auto insurance coverage might not be up to the task regarding roadside assistance. Depending on the auto insurance company, there might not even be an option for roadside assistance.

However, if you’re looking for an extra safety net for you and your vehicle, it is worth getting some additional coverage. Several affordable roadside assistance companies are available to help provide the coverage you need.

Some insurance providers, like GEICO, USAA, and Travelers offer up roadside assistance coverage as an add-on to your current plan at an affordable rate. The average price you can expect to pay is $14, which is a drop in the hat for the ability to get a tow or battery jump when needed.

What Roadside Assistance Covers

Roadside assistance auto insurance can be purchased as a separate plan or as an add-on to your current coverage. As to what it covers, you’ll find it takes care of everything that isn’t accident related.

This includes a wide variety of potential scenarios. For example, if you run low on gas and need just a little extra to get to the nearest station, then roadside assistance will have you covered.

Full coverage, just as an example, won’t provide this service. Most auto insurance included in a full coverage plan only covers incidents like accidents and bad weather.

Does auto insurance cover a dead battery? Comprehensive, liability, and collision auto insurance won’t give you a jump if needed, but roadside assistance will. Roadside assistance is there to help provide a valuable service in a time of need.

Needing a tow is dependent on the context of the incident itself. If your vehicle needs to go to a body shop following an accident, your collision or comprehensive auto insurance will cover that. If your transmission goes out in the parking lot of a grocery store, roadside assistance insurance will be your best bet.

Finding the Right Roadside Assistance Plan

You can get the roadside assistance coverage you need in several ways. Roadside assistance insurance is readily available from several companies. Some plans can be an add-on to your current auto insurance coverage.

Other plans might be completely separate from your current auto insurance coverage. As to which is the better choice, that is purely dependent on your needs.

Here are a few auto insurance companies that provide roadside assistance:

• Geico: Roadside assistance is available for $14 a year and helps cover things like flat tires, being locked out of your vehicle, and emergency jump starts.
• USAA: USAA offers roadside assistance, but the pricing differs, so you must request a quote. USAA covers towing, jumpstart, emergency fuel, lockouts, and flat tires.
• Progressive: Progressive coverage starts between $10 and $18 per policy period. A wide variety of incidents are covered here, such as providing a jumpstart, help with flat tires, tows to qualified mechanics within 15 miles, and fuel service.

There are far more roadside assistance plans out there for you to pick and choose from. The plans mentioned above are additions to current coverage. Pricing is affordable, and you get a fair variety of coverage in those worst-case scenarios.

The Bottom Line on Auto Insurance Coverage for Towing and Roadside Assistance

You might ask yourself, “How much auto insurance coverage do I need?” Roadside assistance is a worthy investment simply for the peace of mind it affords. You might be the safest driver on the planet, but there may come a day when you need that extra coverage.

You might not carry a full coverage plan with your day-to-day driving. However, a roadside assistance plan is vital when you need a tow to your mechanic. Roadside assistance isn’t a massive additional expense on an annual basis, so save yourself the hassle and get the extra help when you need it.