6 Times You Need Roadside Assistance in the Winter

6 Times You Need Roadside Assistance in the Winter

It’s happened to many of us: one cold, snowy evening, you are driving on an empty highway, eager to get to your destination, when your car breaks down. Whether you have a flat tire or an empty tank of gas, one thing is certain: you are stranded. What should you do when the person you would call for help lives an hour away? In the winter, roadside assistance can be essential for those frustrating car breakdown scenarios.

Scenario 1: The tire goes flat.

• Rather than using a car jack and replacing a flat tire in the snow, hail or rain on your own, roadside assistance will come to you. Many car insurance companies offer roadside assistance packages; the team will patch and inflate your tire or put on your spare, saving you the tiresome task of replacing the tire alone in the winter elements.

Scenario 2: The car runs out of gas.

• The need to trek to the nearest gas station is eliminated; a roadside assistance team will bring gas to you. This is extremely important in the winter, when a walk to the nearest gas station may require a mile-long trudge in a snowstorm.

Scenario 3: The battery dies.

• Cold winter temperatures can lead to car battery problems. Instead of finding someone nearby with cables to jump your dead car, roadside assistance will start the car for you. Particularly in the winter months, this reduces the time spent waiting in your car without heat.

Scenario 4: The keys are locked in the car or are missing.

• Roadside assistance will come and unlock your car. You will not need to call a locksmith to pick the lock or a family member to track down your spare key. Also, with roadside assistance’s quick response time, your time spent waiting outside in the cold will be shortened significantly.

 Scenario 5: The car needs to be towed.

• Roadside assistance will arrange for your car to be towed. Response time is fast, resulting in a shorter wait in the bone-chilling winter air. You will not need to worry about being stranded somewhere in the cold without help.
• A roadside assistance program is especially important when you have an inexperienced young driver on the roads. Parents can be assured that in a car emergency, their teen will be taken care of quickly and not stranded in the cold.

Scenario 6: The car is stuck in the snow.

• Winter poses more driving hazards for those on the roads: icy roads, large amounts of snow, and reduced visibility during snowstorms. Cars often slide on the roads into snow banks and sometimes drivers cannot drive their cars out of the snow mound or ditch. Many roadside assistance programs offer extrication or winching for these types of scenarios. A team will remove your car from a snow mound or ditch.

Minor car breakdown scenarios can turn major when the weather is freezing and you are without help. The comfort of having a roadside assistance program will not only ease your worries, but also will leave you extra prepared in case of a car breakdown in the winter. You can even buy auto insurance online to purchase a roadside assistance package right away and be prepared sooner.

 Christina Miller loves to write, especially about business. She holds a B.A. in Marketing. Christina’s favorite things include traveling, reading, and exploring new restaurants in Cleveland. Sponsored content was created and provided by Nationwide Insurance.