Roadside assistance covers the things that leave you stranded without any accident happening: a flat battery, a flat tyre, keys locked in the car, running out of fuel, or a breakdown needing a tow.
It is worth being clear that this is a service contract, not insurance. It does not pay for repairs. It gets you and the car moving, or gets the car somewhere it can be repaired.
You can buy it as an add-on to a car insurance policy, or as membership of a state motoring club — NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAC, RAA, RACT or AANT depending on where you live. Insurer add-ons are usually cheaper and attach to the car. Club membership usually attaches to the member, so it can follow you into any car you are driving, and often carries other benefits. Which is better value depends on whether you drive one car or several.
Almost every product caps the number of call-outs per year, and towing is limited by distance — often generous in the city and much tighter in the country, where you are most likely to need it. Many also apply a waiting period after you join, which is precisely when people tend to buy it. If breaking down remotely is your actual concern, the towing distance is the number that matters, not the price.
It will not pay for the part that failed or the labour to fit it. It will not cover a vehicle that has broken down because of neglected maintenance in some policies, and it generally will not help if the car is unregistered or unroadworthy. Repeated call-outs for the same unfixed fault are commonly refused.
No. It is a service contract that gets you moving or gets the car towed. It does not pay for the repair itself, which is why it sits alongside a car insurance policy rather than replacing any part of one.
An insurer add-on is usually cheaper and attached to the insured car. Club membership usually attaches to you and follows you into other vehicles, and often bundles other benefits. If you only drive one car, the add-on generally wins on price.
Most products will bring enough fuel to get you to a service station, though some limit how often. It is treated as a call-out against your annual allowance like any other.
Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds and government rebate percentages are reviewed regularly, so this page does not quote them. For the current figures see the ATO and the government's privatehealth.gov.au.
