Is Roadside Assistance Worth Getting? Read Here For All You Need To Know

You’re plodding along on a lovely little Sunday drive, enjoying your day, minding your own business, smelling the roses… *sniff sniff*… annnd… smoke from the bonnet? Or maybe you’ve been driving along and one, two, three *CRACK*! You’ve gone over a bump too hard and damaged your windscreen.

Your disappointment is immeasurable and your day is ruined. Now you have to worry about fixing the damn thing! 

Who do you even call? What was your cover again? Did you have RACV car insurance, or did you have AAMI roadside assist? Or did you have the RACV roadside assistance? 

Fear not! 

In this article, we will discuss some of the things you need to know for when you get into a pinch and your car breaks down, as well as any roadside assistance tips and tricks you might need to know!

What Is Roadside Assistance 

First thing is first. In order to know what to do when you breakdown on the side of the road, and to assess which roadside assistance is best, you need to know what roadside assistance is. 

Roadside assistance, otherwise known as breakdown cover, is a service designed to help you when your vehicle stops working, potentially in the middle of nowhere, and you can’t get it to a shop to be fixed. It is a lifeline emergency service you can use to get your car safe and moving, by allowing help to come to you. 

Your provider will probably walk through your problem over the phone first, to see if you can fix it. If the problem can’t be fixed with some help on the phone, a repair professional will be sent to you at the soonest available opportunity. 

Is Roadside Assistance Included In My Insurance? 

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. When selecting a car insurance provider, you need to evaluate if they have roadside assistance included in your package, and if it is something that you are interested in. Usually, you will pay a bit more of a premium for roadside assistance. 

Some private companies for things like autoglass solutions have their own roadside service, which you can read more on here.

What Is Included In Roadside Assistance/Breakdown Care? 

Roadside assistance will come to you and try to get your car moving again, but they don’t have a magical wand that they can wave and fix your car, your mortgage, and your back pain. The included services of roadside assistance are: 

Breakdown Troubleshooting

If your car won’t start or breaks down and you aren’t sure why, your roadside assistance will troubleshoot the problem with you over the phone. They will try their best to get you on the road all by yourself.

Fuel Emergencies

If you run out of fuel, or if you accidentally put the wrong fuel in your car, your roadside assistance can help you out. 

Battery Problems

Need a jumpstart? If you are having problems with your battery and even need a replacement, your roadside assistance can help. 

Busted Tyre

If you get a flat tyre, your roadside assistance is able to come and help you replace it, or fix the current tyre if it can be repaired. 

Key Recovery

It isn’t fun, but a lot of people have done it. If you accidentally lock your key in your car and don’t have a spare, or if you lose your key, roadside assistance can sort out a replacement. 

Tow Truck

If your car can’t be fixed on the spot, your roadside assistance can help you organise a tow truck so you can get your car to a shop. 

What Is The Difference Between Roadside Assistance And Roadside Recovery?

More or less, these terms are interchangeable. Roadside assistance is the umbrella term used for all services where the provider comes to you. Meanwhile, roadside recovery is more when you need your car taken elsewhere, and is a feature of roadside assistance. 

When Should You Call/When Do You Need Roadside Assistance 

It might seem obvious to some, but the first thing you should do when you break down on the side of the road is call your assistance provider. Let’s say your window cracks and you’re not sure if you can keep driving. What do you do? You call a professional to come and fix it! 

In terms of what situation should you get roadside assistance? Well you should evaluate if you want the service, or not. Is a mobile service to help you get moving when you break down valuable to you? If so, you should get roadside assistance! 

What To Do If You Need To Get Your Window Repaired Or Replaced 

If the damage is too great for a windscreen chip repair kit/windscreen repair kit, or a windscreen patch, don’t start googling “how to remove windscreen” in hopes you can become an overnight auto glass professional.  

Why, you might ask? 

Well it’s because we at Dean’s Autoglass already have an entire team of highly trained professionals that will do it for you, so you can be sure the job is done the right way, the first time. At Dean’s we have: 

• 25 years experience
• Competitive prices
• Lifetime guarantee 
• Fast turnaround 
• All vehicle makes and models 
• A mobile emergency service 

So if you have ended up in an accident and you need your window repaired or replaced, you should come to Dean’s Autoglass and ask for a windscreen replacement price list. You will not be disappointed!