A Detailed Guide to Roadside Assistance Cover in Car Insurance

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Imagine driving back home from an outstation business conference late at night and your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere! What do you do? The first thing that comes to mind is to Google the name of the nearest available garage, call them, and wait for them to arrive. However, late-night services come at a premium, and getting your car repaired or towed can be a costly affair. However, if you have the four wheeler’s insurance with a roadside assistance add-on coverage, then the insurance company takes care of all the costs and coordination required to get you out of such a situation.

Today, we will talk about the Roadside Assistance Cover and look at all the services provided under it to help you choose the right add-ons before buying car insurance online.

What is Roadside Assistance Cover (RSA) in car insurance?

When you buy a comprehensive car insurance policy, you have the option of choosing from a range of add-ons to customize the policy as per your requirement. One such add-on is the roadside assistance cover.

Roadside Assistance or RSA in car insurance offers a range of services to the policyholder if his four-wheeler has a mechanical failure or breaks down on the road. The insurance company ties up with a range of service providers and businesses and ensures that it offers a service package that encompasses all potential problems that you might face. Here are some common features offered under the roadside assistance cover:

1. Repair Assistance

The following services are available under repair assistance:

  • Flat tyre service – While a spare wheel is usually something that most car owners pay attention to, there can be times when you have a flat tyre without a spare wheel. Also, even if there is a spare wheel, there are many people who are unable to change the tyre themselves since it is a physically challenging job. Hence, assistance might be needed to manage this situation. With the flat tyre service, insurance companies ensure that the problem is handled and you are back on the road in no time.
  • Battery Jump Start Service – Most car owners will be aware of the frustration that seeps in if the car simply refuses to start since the battery has run down. Via this service, the insurer sends a technician to help you jump start your car using the right tools.
  • On-the-spot repair – With increasing dependency on electrical and computerized parts, cars with minor issues can stall you in the middle of nowhere without giving any warning signs. This service ensures that a technician visits you where you are and assists with minor repairs.
  • Spare key retrieval – Even if it might not have yet happened, most of us are scared of leaving the keys inside the car and locking ourselves out. Also, a car owner can lose his keys while travelling and get stuck in a place where finding a cab is impossible. Through this service, the insurance company sends someone to your house to recover the spare set of keys and send it to you at your location. This is done after you provide a formal authorization and proof of identity and ownership of the vehicle.
  • Emergency fuel delivery – If you missed paying attention to the fuel gauge and are stuck on the road with no fuel in your car, then the insurance company can send you fuel (certain limits and charges apply) at your location.

2. Emergency Towing Assistance

There are two scenarios where you might need to tow your car:

  • Accident or a collision – If your car meets with an accident or gets into a collision, then this service ensures that the insurance company tows your vehicle to the nearest authorized garage at no extra cost. However, some insurers might have a distance limitation beyond which you might have to pay at actual rates.
  • Breakdown – If your car breaks down due to a mechanical or electrical failure and cannot be repaired on the spot, then the insurer will tow it to the nearest authorized garage at no extra cost (within a specified distance).

3. Other Services

  • Messenger services – Some insurers offer a messenger or a message relay service, where the company relays your urgent messages to a loved one if your car breaks down or meets with an accident.
  • Taxi support – Some insurance companies offer taxi support services if your insured car is immobilized outside the limits of your municipal corporation and cannot be repaired the same day. Via these services, the insurer offers an alternate mode of transport to return to your hometown from the place of the breakdown. Based on the services, you might have to pay the fare.
  • Hotel accommodation – The insurance company arranges a hotel room near the location of the event for you to stay if the insured car is immobilized, cannot be repaired, and you cannot travel back to your home.

Summing Up

As you can see, the roadside assistance offers a lot of support in the event of your car getting immobilized on the road due to an accident or mechanical/electrical failure. Hence, before you buy insurance online for your car, ensure that you go through all add-ons and consider the roadside assistance cover to avail of the abovementioned services. Good Luck!