How to Get Roadside Assistance in Virginia
Although there’s a free roadside assistance program in Virginia, it’s limited in scope. Here are the alternatives!
Written by Brittni Brinn
Reviewed by Julian de Sevilla
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) offers some free roadside assistance through the Safety Service Patrol. However, this program only serves certain areas of the state and is generally geared toward keeping roadways maintained and clear after an accident. For more dependable towing services, you may have to rely on your
car insurance
or another provider.When your car breaks down on the side of the highway, you want to have a plan in place! Signing up for roadside assistance through a towing company or your insurance can make the experience a lot less stressful—plus, Virginia has a couple of programs that can offer a helping hand, too!
Here’s a rundown of where you can find roadside assistance in Virginia.
How to get roadside assistance in Virginia
As everyone knows, Virginia is for lovers—but unfortunately, love won’t get your car towed! If you’re looking for roadside assistance, you have a few options to look into, including your vehicle’s manufacturer, your credit card, a club membership, or your insurance company. VDOT can also offer assistance through its Safety Service Patrol—but only under certain circumstances.
Roadside assistance clubs in Virginia
When you think of memberships that offer towing and other roadside services,
AAA
is probably one of the first to come to mind. Even though signing up for roadside assistance through AAA or another auto club like Better World Club is generally an expensive option ($60 to $165 per year on average), the extra benefits and quality of the services offered can make the higher price worth it
.With the basic membership from AAA, you’ll have access to the following services:
- Dead battery jumpstarts
- Flat tire replacement
- Towing (Up to seven miles four times a year)
But for every step up the AAA membership ladder, you’ll get additional services like towing up to 200 miles, trip disruption coverage, and free car rentals! Signing up for AAA or another auto club can give you peace of mind, especially if you have an older car that tends to break down.
MORE: How to join AAA and make sure you have roadside assistance coverage
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Manufacturers that offer roadside assistance
A perk of
buying a new vehicle
is that it may come with roadside assistance already included! Here are some of the car brands that have offered roadside assistance in the past:Credit card companies that offer roadside assistance
Another source of roadside assistance to check is your credit card company—you may already have towing coverage in place without knowing it! Here are a few companies that have been known to provide roadside assistance to their customers:
- Wells Fargo
- U.S. Bank
- Bank of America
- Capital One
- Chase
- Citi
Plus, all Visa credit cards offer roadside assistance. The only catch is that there’s a fee when you use it. It’s worth checking your non-Visa cards as well, although the offered roadside assistance will vary.
Checking ahead of time and understanding the conditions of using these roadside assistance services is the best way to prepare for a breakdown.
MORE: Why your car breaks down and how to avoid it
Insurance companies that offer roadside assistance
If you don’t have a new car or your credit card company doesn’t have roadside assistance on offer, don’t worry. You can also check with your car insurance provider! Adding roadside assistance or
towing and labor coverage
is generally more affordable than other sources of these services.If you add roadside assistance to your existing full coverage insurance policy, you’ll pay an average of $10 to $20 a year! And the even better news is that most car insurance companies, including
Nationwide
, Allstate
, and Progressive
, offer roadside assistance.Adding on towing and labor coverage will come with services like battery jump starts, spare tires,
fuel delivery
, and more. You can check with your current provider to see what’s on offer, or even compare with other car insurance companies to see which provider will give you the best deal.How to find free roadside assistance in Virginia
The Safety Service Patrol is a service run through VDOT that provides free and basic roadside assistance to certain areas of Virginia. Over 921 miles of interstate highway are covered by the Safety Service Patrol, including I-95, I-64, I-81, and I-66.
The Safety Service Patrol provides six main services:
- Short-term accident scene management
- Detecting incidents and disruptions in traffic
- Minimizing incident duration
- Clearing obstructions and debris
- Establishing temporary traffic control for emergency responders
- Support reversible roadway and high-occupancy vehicle gate operations
If you’re on the scene of an accident, you can request help with a
flat tire
, fuel to get you to the closest gas station, jumpstarts, getting a tow, or directions. The Safety Service Patrol is concerned with public service and road maintenance, so it won’t be able to provide the range of services you’d get from a towing company. For more information, call 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623).“Jerryblew my mind, honestly. From start to finish, using the app took me 10 minutes and I ended up with $100 in savings a month. Best of all, customer service answered all my questions about rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance.” —Savanna R.
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What is the phone number for AAA?
To get in touch with AAA’s roadside assistance service, call (800) 222-4357. AAA members can call anytime for assistance.
Does Virginia have free roadside assistance?
The VDOT runs the Safety Service Patrol, which provides basic roadside services to vehicles involved in accidents or other incidents along interstate highways. Even though these services are provided for free, they aren’t as comprehensive as those offered by auto clubs or through your car insurance.
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