Allstate Corp. has launched a pay-per-use roadside assistance program that doesn’t require annual fees.
The Northbrook-based insurer cited studies showing that the average driver uses roadside assistance services just once every three years. Allstate said its Good Hands Roadside program meets the needs of 35 million households in the U.S. without such services, as well as 52 million households that pay annual fees for roadside assistance.
Customers do not have to be Allstate customers to use Good Hands, which charges $75 for a tow of up to 10 miles and $50 to resolve other problems such as flat tires, dead batteries and keys locked inside the car. Response times will be faster if drivers pre-register online, Allstate said.
The company also has a Good Hands mobile application for the iPhone that allows users to select what kind of service they need and uses the device’s GPS technology to help locate the driver. Allstate said versions of the app for the Android and BlackBerry platforms will be available next month.
