Roadside assistance, also known as breakdown coverage, is a service that assists motorists, motorcyclists, or bicyclists whose vehicles have suffered a mechanical failure that either cannot be resolved by the motorist, or has prevented them from reasonably or effectively transporting the vehicle to an automobile repair shop. Roadside assistance employees respond to calls for service to inspect the vehicle and attempt to render appropriate repairs. Roadside assistance may be provided by departments of transportation, automobile associations,

vehicle insurance Vehicle insurance (also known as car insurance, motor insurance, or auto insurance) is insurance for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage or bodily injury ...

providers, or dedicated roadside assistance organizations.

History

Early motorists were often capable of carrying out minor repairs themselves, but as automobiles became more complicated, it became more difficult to carry out successfully. Some early local motoring clubs tried to support their members by encouraging them to help each other. A rotation of members who would help other members was kept, and in some cases, cash was put aside to hire a tow truck if needed. In the UK,

RAC RAC or Rac may refer to: Organizations * Radio Amateurs of Canada * RATCH-Australia Corporation, electricity generator * Refugee Action Collective (Victoria), Melbourne, Australia * Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, US * Rent-A-Center, ...

(a former associate of the

Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a ...

) and

The Automobile Association AA Limited, trading as The AA (formerly The Automobile Association), is a British motoring association. Founded in 1905, it provides vehicle insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, road maps and other services. ...

(AA) (formed in 1905) offer repair services to their members on the spot, tow to a local garage or the driver's home if nearby (a limit of 20 miles commonly) and in some cases provide onward journey services such as hire vehicles. The Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club in Germany began to offer a similar service in 1927. In the Netherlands, a Wegenwacht (road watch) of the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) started operating only in 1946, because

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

intervened. In the U.S., the

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 m ...

started the first roadside assistance service in April 1915, when five motorcyclists working for the Automobile Club of St. Louis founded the “First Aid Corps.” The group drove through the city’s streets on Sundays looking for stranded motorists, making minor engine and tire repairs for free, for members and nonmembers alike. They helped 24 motorists on that first Sunday and 171 by the end of the first month. Many of these associations are membership-based clubs and provide services to assist members through the use of fleet assistance vehicles. In the case of the UK AA, these were traditionally

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...

-mounted prior to the introduction of

van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

s. When communication technology and availability made it practical, a network of emergency phone boxes, placed at intervals by the roadside, was introduced in some countries. In recent years, the widespread ownership of mobile phones has supplanted the need for an emergency phone network. Mobile technology has also led to the development of free applications (apps).

Provision of service

In some areas, especially in Europe, there is a government-sponsored or sanctioned automobile membership association, and the service may be in the form of an insurance policy with premiums, instead of a member subscription fee. Services may also be available as part of the service of a

company, or other companies whose primary business is to offer such assistance, such as AAA in America or the AA in the UK. Some automobile manufacturers also offer roadside assistance for their customers, sometimes for free for some period after the purchase of a new vehicle.

Assistance

Breakdown coverage may include jump-starting an automobile, diagnosing and repairing the problem that caused the breakdown, towing a vehicle, helping to change a flat tire, providing a small amount of fuel when a vehicle runs out of it, pulling out a vehicle that is stuck in snow or helping people who are locked out of their cars.Roadside.co.uk - Most Frequent Causes of Breakdowns
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United States

In the United States, many states and their departments of transportation have organized government-run highway assistance patrols, or highway safety patrols, to keep the traffic moving and assist with highway emergencies as needed. While not law enforcement personnel, these persons provide free service to motorists in distress, and secure lanes of traffic, provide emergency medical assistance, request tow trucks for vehicles in inconvenient or dangerous locations, remove debris from the roadway after a crash, and resolve minor disabled vehicle problems, such as flat tires, jumpstarts, or pushing a disabled vehicle out of travel lanes. Many of these patrols work directly with the state police and highway operations departments of their state, and respond to assistance when a citizen calls 911 for minor roadside assistance.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, roadside assistance is a basic cover if car owners buy car insurance. Roadside assistance usually consists of more services. Some insurance companies offer their own or even exclusive roadside assistance services, which means if one's car doesn't have a roadside assistance cover yet, they can purchase it as a supplement.

References