Roadside Assistance: A History Of Helping
Whether you have a flat tire or you're broken down on the side of the road somewhere, roadside services are there to help get you back in the driver's seat as quickly as possible. But where did these services originate, and how did they become such a familiar sight along our highways? Here is some insight on the history of today's most popular forms of roadside help.
Early Beginnings
In the very early 1900's, horses were still the most common form of transportation, but those who did own motor vehicles started to create motor clubs. These clubs got together in March of 1902 and formed a group called the American Automobile Association, now known as AAA. The group began to work together to improve the experience of drivers. By 1915, AAA began offering help for stranded motorists. Other car clubs began growing in popularity across the nation, and soon various car insurance organizations began to offer roadside help to their insured members as additional perks.
Soon after World War II had ended, the department store Montgomery Ward began offering vehicle assistance services to its credit card holders. Companies saw the need to provide help to those who needed it while on the road, and the concept of providing this as a revenue-generating supplement quickly took hold. Before the days of flares, cell phones, and hazard lights, it was difficult to identify a stranded car, so many roadside services would assign drivers to comb the highways day and night, searching for anyone who may have broken down.
Roadside Assistance Today
Giving help to stranded drivers is still a popular practice today. Many localities' departments of transportation also have road crews who drive around looking for people who may need a hand. Often, they will help protect them from other drivers by blocking a lane, calling tow services for help, or giving people gasoline to get back on the road if they have run out. While AAA is still one of the nation's most popular services, there are countless other companies who will also provide the same kind of help. In most cases, customers pay a monthly or annual fee and receive a membership number. They can simply make a phone call and someone will typically reach them within anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on their location. Whether it is replacing a flat tire, getting a tow truck to take the car for auto repair services, or providing a jump to a dead battery, roadside assistance is an invaluable service to everyone who drives a car.
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