In a car insurance contract, the subscription to car assistance is optional. Even if it is not as vital as health or home insurance assistance, it is still beneficial and practical. It is important to know what assistance in car insurance is and how it works.

What Is Assistance in Car Insurance?

The material and logistical assistance provided to a driver in case of an accident, whatever its nature, constitutes the essence of assistance in car insurance. This guarantee varies from one contract to another. The “all risks” option, contrary to what you may think, is not the equivalent of a better insurance contract. However, this formula offers “zero kilometer” assistance in most cases.

This offer allows you to benefit from assistance, i.e., to be helped anywhere, contrary to the 50-kilometer plan. You only benefit from the breakdown service when you are more than 50 kilometers from home. You can, nevertheless, call upon a well-equipped breakdown service company.

The Fields of Action of the Automobile Assistance

The main areas of intervention in car assistance are diverse and varied. Everything depends on the guarantee offered by the car insurance company. It can go from the mileage option to assistance anywhere. The automobile assistance covers :

• Mechanical breakdown
• Accidents
• Flat tire
• Misfuelling
• Ice breakers

According to the clauses of your contract, you can benefit for a basic contract:

• A breakdown service on the spot
• Towing of your vehicle
• Repatriation to your home or waiting on site or continuation of your trip: three non-cumulative options
• Recovery of the car after repair

For a complete contract, you will have in addition to the advantages mentioned above:

• A liaison cab
• A replacement vehicle
• Some insurance companies are affiliated with towing and recovery companies that offer highly efficient wreck removal services.

How Do I Get Auto Assistance?

The first thing you need to do is to subscribe to an assistance guarantee at the same time as your car insurance. As soon as you find yourself in a situation of damage, you just have to contact the assistance service. The call number is often written on the back of the small green square dedicated to insurance. This is located at the bottom right of your windshield.

During the call, you must identify yourself by providing all the necessary information on your vehicle registration card. If you don’t have it with you, you can be identified by the registration number of your vehicle, the contract number, your first and last name, or the serial number. Things are different in case of a breakdown on a highway. In this case, the police must be informed.

Furthermore, you should be careful when subscribing to a car assistance guarantee. Indeed, some options offered by insurance companies may overlap with other insurance coverage you already have. Be careful when reading over the advantages offered to you by the use of your bank card. This concerns the coverage of a repatriation or the provision of a replacement vehicle.

How Does Car Assistance Work?

After your call, the insurance company will put together a file sent by SMS to your cell phone. Once this step is completed, you will only have to wait for the intervention team, which will come within an average of 45 minutes. Once on site, the repair can be done on-site or after towing to the garage. Again, it all depends on the clauses of the contract, the towing of your vehicle can be done towards the garage of the brand or the nearest car garage of the breakdown.

Although optional, car assistance is surprisingly useful, especially in an accident. Several types of contracts exist and deserve a judicious choice.