Consumers can choose from many emergency roadside service plans

The marketplace holds many options for consumers who are shopping for emergency roadside services. In addition to traditional fee-based motor clubs, auto insurance policy add-ons, services that come with the purchase of luxury cars, and special recreational vehicle packages can help ensure that drivers don't become stranded.

The oldest, largest, and most well-known motor club is AAA. However insurance companies, car manufacturers, and other auto clubs also offer emergency roadside assistance packages.

"AAA holds the lion's share of the market�probably 60 to 70 percent," said Ben Milano, external communication consultant for Allstate Insurance Co. in Farmington in the Rochester area.

Hudson Valley AAA declined to supply information for the article.

Nationally, Allstate Motor Club has more than 2 million members�150,000 of them in New York state. The company offers a traditional fee-based motor club, which people can join regardless of whether they have auto insurance with Allstate. Members can choose a basic package for $69.95 per year or a deluxe plan for $89.95.

Both packages provide basic roadside emergency services, lock-out services, towing, trip interruption coverage and other travel planning benefits, with varying cost limits. A special road-help package is available for recreational vehicles, which have their own set of towing and servicing needs, Milano said.

Other insurance companies, such as State Farm and Geico, offer a roadside assistance option on the auto insurance policies they issue. These are designed for people who don't want the travel services that come as part of many motor clubs.

"What we offer is a better value for the customer. We don't make them pay for that they don't want," said John Zinno, assistant vice president at Geico Insurance, based in Fredericksburg, Va.

Geico's emergency road service option costs $8 for six months and covers towing, jump-starts, lock-outs, lost keys, and winching. The company maintains its own network of more than 6,000 towing services. There are no limits except on locksmith services, which are capped at $100. Zinno said Geico receives 80,000 assistance calls nationwide each month, and that towing is the No. 1 service used, followed by requests for jump-starts.

State Farm offers a similar emergencies-only option for its policyholders, who pay $1.80 for six months of service. Of the 1.4 million New York drivers who have auto insurance through State Farm, 1 million opt for the roadside assistance plan, said Sandy Dempskie, a spokesperson based in Ballston Spa. This year, State Farm has paid nearly 14,000 claims under this option in New York, Dempskie said.

A lesser known option is one that comes with the purchase of a luxury vehicle. High-end cars such as BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes automatically provide various assistance packages during the car's warranty period.

"Each Mercedes dealership is required to maintain a service vehicle, operated by a factory-trained technician," said Dan Rothstein, service director at Keeler Motor Car in Latham.

Mercedes owners can call a national 800 number that will dispatch a technician from the nearest dealership, instead of an outside towing service. At Keeler, technicians rotate through an on-call schedule. The service vehicle is equipped with supplies and various battery models so that a customer does not need to go to the dealership for many repairs, Rothstein said. All new and used cars sold through the dealership have the full service for the warranty period, and limited emergency services such as jump-starts, batteries, and gasoline for the lifetime of the car.

On average, Keeler receives eight emergency calls for service each week.

Ultimately, as these brand-specific roadside services increase in number, they could make in-roads into the fee-based motor club customer base, said Allstate's Milano.

No matter what type of service someone chooses, "the customer really needs to understand what coverage they have," said Zinno of Geico.

He pointed out, for instance, that many credit cards advertise roadside assistance and provide a toll-free number for service. Consumers do not realize that while they can get service, they have to pay full price.

In general, insurance providers do not foresee any major changes in roadside assistance plans, although most examine usage and tweak the plans as necessary. One area that may be problematic in the future is locksmith services.

"Manufacturers are making replacement of keys very difficult by installing computer chips in them," Zinno said, adding that locksmiths can have trouble during hours when auto dealerships are closed.

If consumers don't find a roadside plan in their local area to their liking, many more options are available online. Environmentally conscious consumers can explore betterworldclub.com, which bills itself as the "one and only socially responsible and environmentally friendly member-based travel club of its kind."

Other motor clubs include Advantage Auto Club, Shell Motorist Club, Hiway Angels, and the Auto Club of America. RV owners can get tailored service from RV Roadservice Online or Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service.