Car insurance with roadside assistance
Roadside assistance can help get your car back on the road if you break down. Find out which car insurers offer roadside assist.
What is roadside assistance?
Roadside assistance is designed to get your vehicle back on the road in the event of a breakdown. It generally includes cover for:
- Battery issues – jump-starting a flat battery or supplying a replacement battery
- Flat tyres – inflating or changing a tyre if you have a spare
- Towing – towing your car to a nearby mechanic (up to a certain distance)
- Keys – if you lock your keys inside your car, helping to unlock your car. If you lose your keys, helping with the cost of getting new keys or of retrieving your spare key (up to a certain amount)
- Emergency fuel – delivering emergency fuel so you can reach the nearest petrol station
Inclusions will vary depending on the provider and policy you choose, so it’s a good idea to compare your options to see what you will be covered for.
How does roadside assistance work?
If you call your roadside assistance provider for help, they will usually ask you a series of questions about your vehicle to see if they can solve your problem over the phone. If they can’t, they will send out someone to help you. Alternatively, depending on your roadside assistance provider, you may be able to answer these questions online or via a mobile app.
Many providers offer 24/7 roadside assistance and may let you make unlimited callouts. Some providers will also provide assistance regardless of who was driving the vehicle at the time it broke down.
Keep in mind that you will generally have to pay for any parts you need – for example, if you need a replacement battery.
How do I buy roadside assistance?
Roadside assistance can be purchased on its own from motoring clubs such as NRMA, RACQ and RACV, or from some major car companies when you purchase one of their cars. You can also get roadside assistance through some comprehensive car insurance policies.
Which car insurers offer roadside assistance?
Roadside assistance is available as a standard or optional extra on some comprehensive car insurance policies. At the time of writing, Youi Comprehensive Car Insurance and eric Car Insurance are the only policies in Canstar’s database that include roadside assistance as a standard inclusion.
Of the 73 comprehensive car insurance policies in Canstar’s database, 32 policies currently offer roadside assistance as an optional extra. This means you will have to pay more for it. On average, it adds $93 to your policy each year.
The following policies currently offer roadside assistance as an option extra:
- 1st for Women – Comprehensive
- AAMI – Comprehensive
- ahm Health Insurance – Comprehensive
- APIA – Car Advantage – Comprehensive
- Australian Seniors Insurance Agency – Comprehensive
- Budget Direct – Gold Comprehensive
- Coles Insurance – Comprehensive, Comprehensive Plus
- GIO – Comprehensive, Platinum
- Huddle Insurance – Comprehensive, Comprehensive Unlimited Kilometres
- ING – Comprehensive
- Kogan Insurance – Comprehensive
- Ozicare – Comprehensive
- PD Insurance – Comprehensive
- QANTAS – Comprehensive Cover
- RAA – Comprehensive
- RAC – Comprehensive
- RACT – Comprehensive
- RACV – Complete Care, Comprehensive
- Real Insurance – Comprehensive, Pay As You Drive
- Shannons Insurance – Comprehensive
- Stella Insurance – Comprehensive
- Suncorp Insurance – Comprehensive, Comprehensive Advantages, Comprehensive Extras
- Virgin Money – Comprehensive – Price Saver
- Woolworths – Comprehensive, Drive Less Pay Less
Source: www.canstar.com.au. Prepared on 8/09/2022. Based on comprehensive car insurance policies in Canstar’s Database. Average annual cost calculated based on policies that quote a fixed additional cost for roadside assistance.
Some car insurers also allow you to buy roadside assistance as a standalone policy (meaning you don’t have to have a comprehensive car insurance policy with them). Some providers may offer a discount on their car insurance policies to customers who are also roadside assistance members.
Compare Car Insurance with Canstar
If you’re comparing car insurance policies, the comparison table below displays some of the policies currently available on Canstar’s database for a 30-39 year old male seeking comprehensive cover in NSW without cover for an extra driver under 25 and with roadside assistance. Please note the table is sorted by Star Rating (highest to lowest) followed by provider name (alphabetical) and features links direct to the providers’ websites. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD), before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the PDS and TMD. Use Canstar’s car insurance comparison selector to view a wider range of policies. Canstar may earn a fee for referrals.
Main image source: Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock.com
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This article was reviewed by our Deputy Editor Sean Callery before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.
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