Roadside assistance plans often make sense

The only thing worse than sitting on the side of the road with a breakdown is seeing the towing bill when the driver hands it over. If you live in a remote area or just don’t want to take the risk of having to pay dearly for a tow, purchasing a roadside assistance plan may make a lot of sense.

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Having your car towed can be expensive; consider roadside assistance

Owning a car is expensive; nowhere does that point become more obvious than when it breaks down and you have to have it towed to a shop. All cars eventually break down at one time or another; that problem is not the exclusive province of auto lemons. But with charges to tow that can cost $50 just to show up and $2 a mile or so to take you somewhere, towing can get expensive in a hurry. And that’s before you have to pay to have the car repaired! Is there an easier way?

You might consider buying a roadside assistance plan. Such plans are essentially towing insurance. You pay an annual fee and once done, a certain amount of towing is included for the price. This can be quite a bargain if you live in a remote area where the nearest shop might be quite some distance away.

Plans are offered from a variety of sources:

• American Automobile Association - AAA membership, which costs anywhere from $40-80 per year, includes basis roadside services with their membership. This not only includes towing, but also includes some gasoline, flat tire repair and even locksmith services in case you lock yourself out of your car.
• American Association of Retired Persons - AARP has a roadside assistance plans for their members. Pricing is similar to a membership to AAA. They also offer a premium membership for an additional price that includes towing up to 100 miles.
• Auto insurance companies - Most major auto insurance companies offer towing or roadside assistance for a modest increase in your premium. Depending on the company, it could cost you as little as $5 extra per year to have the security of towing at your disposal.

Plans will vary from company to company, of course. Some plans will include basic towing of up to a certain number of miles. Others may include extras, such as meals or lodging, should they become necessary due to your breakdown. You get what you pay for, of course, so plans that include more options will cost you more. On the other hand, most of these plans are inexpensive enough that you get your money’s worth if you only use it once. Towing can be expensive; we once had a $350 towing bill when we broke down 200 miles from home at 2 AM on Christmas Eve. It was expensive, but it sure beat spending Christmas in the middle of nowhere. And we had roadside assistance, so we got $75 of it back from our insurance company.

Sooner or later, most everyone will suffer a roadside breakdown. You can’t plan for them; they just happen. But you can be prepared, and if you are, you can rest assured that all you need to do is make a call and the truck will be on its way. And you won’t have to worry about sticker shock when you get the bill.

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