The short version

Only if you carry towing and labour coverage, or roadside assistance. It is an optional add-on — not part of liability, and not automatically included with Comprehensive or Collision.

The exception: if your car is towed as part of a covered claim — after a crash, or a theft recovery — that tow is generally handled within the claim itself.

Two different things

Towing and labour coverage is an option on your auto policy. It typically reimburses a tow and roadside labour up to a stated amount, regardless of why you broke down.

Tow as part of a claim is different. If your vehicle is undriveable after a covered accident, moving it is part of that loss rather than a separate benefit.

People assume they have the first because they have experienced the second.

What it usually covers

A tow to the nearest qualified repair facility, plus common roadside labour performed at the scene: a jump start, a tyre change, lockout service, fuel delivery, and winching in some policies.

Note "at the scene." The coverage is generally for labour performed roadside, not for the repair once the car reaches a shop.

What it does not do

It does not pay for the repair. A tow after engine failure may be covered while the engine work is entirely yours.

It usually has a per-tow limit, so a long-distance tow can exceed it.

And it does not cover a rental while your car is in the shop — that is rental reimbursement, a separate option people routinely confuse with this one.

Do you already have it elsewhere

This is the part worth checking before you buy it. Roadside assistance is commonly bundled into things you may already pay for: a motor club membership, a new-car warranty programme, or a credit card benefit.

Paying for the same service twice is common. Check what you have before adding it to the policy.

Is it worth carrying

It is generally inexpensive, which is the main argument for it. The counter-argument is that using it is still a claim contact with your carrier, and frequent small roadside claims are not weightless — claims frequency is one of the things carriers look at.

For most drivers the practical answer: carry it if you do not already have equivalent coverage elsewhere, and use it for genuine roadside events rather than routine convenience.

An important note about your actual policy

Towing, labour and roadside options vary by carrier in what they include and what they cap. Your declarations page will show whether you carry it — most drivers are not sure.

How The Jordan Insurance Agency helps

The Jordan Insurance Agency is an independent agency in Charlotte. We will tell you whether you already carry towing, what it caps at, and whether you are paying for the same service somewhere else.