Is Emergency Roadside Assistance a Waste of Money, or a Necessary Part of Your Maine Car Insurance Policy?

Is Emergency Roadside Assistance a Waste of Money, or a Necessary Part of Your Maine Car Insurance Policy?

When you're shopping for cheap car insurance you're going to do your best to try to keep your insurance rates down. You're going to carefully weigh the value of your car, the amount you can afford to pay in deductibles and the levels of insurance coverage you're really going to need to be protected out on the road. But are you prepared to cut the fat out of your Maine car insurance policy? And if you are, should your emergency roadside assistance service stay or go?

If you've been driving for fifteen years or less the prospect of insurance without emergency roadside assistance in tow (no pun intended) probably seems absurd. Most Maine car insurance providers include emergency roadside assistance as a standard part of their insurance package options, often costing you less than $100 a year to add full coverage onto your insurance policy. In exchange, you've always got a number on hand to call for towing and the security of knowing that the minute your car decides to break down or blow a tire on the side of I-95 in the middle of December you're not going to be alone.

The million dollar question is, do you really need to add emergency roadside assistance to your car insurance policy, or is it just another attempt by the insurance industry to take your paycheck?

If your car breaks down, what kind of tow truck can you afford?

The answer is yes…and no. You really don't want to be caught cruising the highways of Maine (or anywhere else, for that matter) without some form of emergency roadside assistance, if for no other reason than the average cost of having to have your car towed can start at $50 and go as high as $200-300, depending on where you live and how far they have to go. By purchasing emergency roadside assistance services through your insurance company you can rest assured that you're always going to be able to afford it.

On the other hand, the companies that issue Maine car insurance policies aren't the only ones offering emergency roadside assistance. As a matter of fact, they may not even be the cheapest option! AAA, Better World Club and hundreds of other clubs and organizations offer emergency roadside assistance plans at cheap rates, sometimes cheaper than the average car insurance provider and almost always more comprehensive. (Your insurance provider probably isn't going to be able to help you if you lock yourself out of your car.) By purchasing a plan from them instead you can continue to enjoy cheap car insurance without all of the unnecessary perks.

Think of it as itemizing your taxes. It might be worth it. It might not. It's up to you to do the math and figure it out.

So is emergency roadside assistance a requisite part of your Maine car insurance policy, or just more fluff that needs to be eliminated? You need emergency roadside assistance, and purchasing a good plan rather than flying by the seat of your pants guarantees that you're never going to be trapped by the side of the road with nowhere to turn. It costs enough to get your car repaired in the first place. You don't want to have to blow your budget on a tow truck before a mechanic even gets a glimpse of your license plates, but you don't want to send your insurance premiums through the roof either.

It's up to you to decide whether your best bet is to buy emergency roadside assistance through your car insurance provider or if there's another option out there that's right for you.

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• Is Emergency Roadside Assistance a Waste of Money, or a Necessary Part of Your Maine Car Insurance Policy? - May 14, 2009 - 11:08:01 AM