4 reasons to remember your roadside assistance this Fourth of July
The Fourth of July is consistently one of the busiest travel periods of the year, with millions of Americans taking advantage of the summer holiday to travel.
However, plenty of people also choose to stay local, opting for backyard barbecues, community parades and neighborhood fireworks shows.
If you are one of the millions staying close to home, you might assume you are safe from holiday travel woes. But the truth is, some of the most common calls for help happen just a few miles from your driveway over holiday weekends.
Before you fire up the grill or pack up the lawn chairs, here are four examples of why you’ll want to keep your auto insurance policy’s roadside assistance program top of mind this Independence Day.
1. If you experience a dead car battery
Arriving early at the local high school or fairgrounds to claim the perfect fireworks viewing spot is a time-honored tradition. You back the car in, open the trunk to grab your things and set up camp. The kids run around and play while you’re catching up with neighbors or family and friends.
Then, the spectacular 30-minute grand finale ends. You pack up the cooler, load everyone back into the car, turn the key and... click, click, click. The battery is completely drained as unbeknownst to you, one of the kids decided to blast the air conditioner to cool down and forgot to turn it off.
How roadside assistance saves the night: Don't wander through a dark, crowded parking lot looking for a stranger with jumper cables. Your policy's roadside assistance includes battery jump-starts. A professional will come straight to your parking spot and get your engine running, turning a major headache into a minor delay.
2. In case you get locked out of your car
Whether you are spending the day at a community pool, a nearby lake or a crowded backyard block party, holiday events involve a lot of back-and-forth hauling. You’re constantly grabbing things from the car: folding chairs, extra ice, sunscreen or a platter of burgers.
When your hands are full of awkward gear, it’s incredibly easy to make a mistake. You toss your keys into the trunk alongside the empty cooler, absentmindedly slam the lid and instantly realize what you've done.
How roadside assistance saves the night: Forcing open a car door or breaking a window can cause hundreds of dollars in damage. Instead, utilize your policy's lockout service. A locksmith will be dispatched to safely unlock your vehicle and retrieve your keys, getting you back to the party without a scratch on your car.
3. Your car gets a flat tire in a makeshift parking lot
To accommodate thousands of spectators, local municipalities often turn empty dirt lots, bumpy grassy fields and roadside shoulders into temporary holiday parking. While convenient, these unpaved areas are notorious for hiding hazards.
As you pack up the car and get ready to exit the venue, you notice your car is leaning, or your tire pressure light pops on the second you turn the key. You have run over a sharp rock or a discarded metal tent peg, and your tire is entirely flat.
How roadside assistance saves the night: Changing a flat tire in the pitch dark on uneven dirt while thousands of impatient drivers are trying to squeeze past you is highly dangerous. Instead of trying to wrestle with a jack in the dark, pull your car back into a safe parking spot out of the exit lane and call for a flat tire change. A roadside professional will arrive with the proper lighting and equipment to safely swap out your flat.
4. EV low battery or running out of gas on your way home
Anyone who has ever attended a major community fireworks show knows that leaving is the hardest part. A drive that normally takes ten minutes can easily turn into an hour of bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go gridlock.
You might have thought half a gas tank or a 50% charge was plenty. But after sitting idle with the air conditioning blasting for 45 minutes, trying to inch your way down the local highway, your fuel or charge light kicks on—and your engine or battery sputters out.
How roadside assistance saves the night: Running out of gas or charge in holiday traffic is incredibly stressful. Your first priority is to shift into neutral, coast safely onto the shoulder and put on your hazard lights. Once you are safely out of the flow of traffic, use your roadside assistance program to request emergency fuel delivery or mobile charging. While it may take some time for the service vehicle to navigate the holiday traffic to reach you, you have peace of mind knowing you aren't stranded. They will bring enough gas or a mobile charger directly to your location to get your car started safely.
What to do before the fireworks start
Don't wait until you're stranded in a dark parking lot to figure out if you have roadside assistance coverage and how to use it. Take two minutes today to download the Nationwide Mobile app®–which is the fastest, easiest and most convenient way to request roadside help. Download it and log in now. Make sure you know where the “request roadside” help button is so you can access it exactly when you need it.