Roadside assistance is a service provided to a motorist whose vehicle has a breakdown or mechanical failure on the roadway. Roadside service is usually offered with a motorist's full coverage insurance policy, through companies such as AAA. It may also be offered to a motorist through a credit card company, the purchase of tires or when buying a new vehicle.
Emergency roadside assistance covers many problems a driver might experience on the roadway. These include flat tires, being locked out, mechanical failures, out of fuel or dead batteries. In situations such as these, contractors of the roadside service company will come out to the car and assist in taking care of the problem. The measures they take to assist the driver will depend upon what the problem is.
A driver that experiences a flat tire can expect a contractor for the roadside assistance company to come out and change his tire. If he doesn't have a spare tire, the roadside professional will drive him to an authorized facility to get his tire fixed. The cost of fixing the tire is paid for by the driver, but there is usually no charge for the transportation service.