Best Roadside Assistance for Seniors
There is nothing worse than having your car breakdown. Sometimes you do everything in your power to prevent it, but you still can’t help if you hit a pothole and get a flat tire. When this happens, you can end up on the side of the road, trying to put on your spare. Why not save yourself the trouble and be prepared with the best roadside assistance for seniors to take care of the problems for you?
Best U.S. Roadside Assistance for Seniors
1. AAA
The American Automobile Association (AAA) has long been the most recognized roadside assistance company, and for good reason. They are seen as one of the most reliable and highly rated companies. In general, AAA offers more comprehensive coverage compared to most competitors. They also offer free services, like jump starts, battery delivery and installation and roadside mechanical adjustments. One big con though is that if you want more comprehensive coverage you will have to pay more money for a Plus or Premier membership. The cost of their base coverage, also called Classic, comes in at around $80 a year depending on your state. AAA also offers reciprocal service with its international counterparts, like the AA in the U.K.
2. Best Roadside Service
Best Roadside Service offers only two plans for their customers. They offer an individual vehicle plan or an individual plan. The difference is that one covers the vehicle no matter who is driving it while the individual plan covers the person who has purchased the vehicle, whether they are a passenger or the driver. The vehicle assistance is $79 a year and the individual assistance is $99.95 a year. Best Roadside Service is highly rated, but when you compare their insurance with AAA, it doesn’t compare to the number of discounts and perks that AAA members can get for only a little more money.
3. Allstate Motor Club
Allstate Motor Club offers comprehensive coverage that is more than just roadside assistance. All their plans include 24/7 roadside assistance with the perks of towing, jumpstarts and fuel delivery. They also offer plans that include trip-planning assistance, arrest bond certificate, moving violation and defense legal fees and even witness rewards if you are involved in an accident. One con to Allstate Motor Club’s roadside assistance program is that while it is inexpensive the first year, prices increase significantly after. Their base plan, called Roadside Advantage, is $79 the first year but increases to $100 yearly after that.
4. National Motor Club
Like all the roadside assistance companies listed above, National Motor Club (NMC) offers the same things. However, if you compare these insurances, NMC has more options for coverage. They have five different rates available beginning with their Security Basic for only $8 a month going all the way up to their Security Shield for $29 a month. Like Allstate, they offer bond certificates for moving violations. On top of that, they offer the option to add on access to dental and medication discounts. However, a big downfall is that their basic plan is simple, not offering a comparable coverage for the same price.
5. AARP
AARP offers their roadside assistance specifically to people who are 50 and up. Their roadside assistance is inexpensive, and they have two options available: Roadside Assist for $62 a year or Roadside Elite for $119. What’s nice about their plans is that they cover up to two people. One downfall to AARP’s roadside assistance is they only offer trip interruption coverage for their more expensive plan.
Best U.K. Roadside Assistance for Seniors
1. AA
The AA is the U.K.’s version of AAA and generally should aid any AAA member driving abroad. Of course, it is always best to contact your provider directly to confirm. If you live in the U.K., then one of the best services is the AA. Their basic coverage provides 24/7 roadside assistance if you are over a quarter of a mile from your home. They will either fix the problem or tow your car to a nearby garage. You can add on more coverage for a fee. This includes onward travel and help with the repair bill. Their basic coverage is only £6 a month. The AA’s coverage is a lot more customizable when compared to other roadside and car insurance plans. However, the add-ons do add up to make the cost a lot more than £6 a month.
2. Britannia Rescue
Britannia Rescue offers five levels of breakdown coverage starting with basic roadside assistance for only £30 a year. Their more expensive coverages cover at-home help, recovery anywhere in the U.K., European breakdown coverage and the option to cover alternative transportation or a stay at a hotel if your car can’t be fixed right away. They also offer an option for short-term coverage for road trips. They are highly rated. Their response time to calls is not as quick as some other service providers, but they are still better than a lot of others.
3. Admiral Breakdown Cover
Admiral’s Breakdown Cover has three options, and they offer the most comprehensive, basic coverage. All their plans include alternative transport or emergency stays at no additional cost. To get pricing, you will have to get a quote with them as they base their pricing on the vehicle you drive; this is uncommon when compared to other insurances.
4. RAC
RAC is comparable to AA, but with the bonus that they don’t charge extra for at-home calls. They also offer unlimited calls for break downs and fix four out of five break downs on the spot. Their basic coverage costs £11.50 a month. The one downfall to RAC is that when you compare it to other insurances there are a lot of complaints about the wait times for a technician to show up to help.