Does Car Insurance Cover Towing?

Does Car Insurance Cover Towing?

Nobody likes to think about it, but there’s a good chance that one day you’ll end up needing a towing company when your car lets you down.

From rough rural roads to dangerous wildlife and adverse weather, the Australian climate can be hard on your vehicle, but when disaster strikes, will your car insurance bail you out and cover your tow? Let’s take a quick look at how your car insurance deals with towing, and whether or not you’ll be covered.

Does insurance cover my tow?

The good news for motorists is that car insurance companies will often cover elements of your tow, but it’s important that you check your policy and make sure you know exactly what is covered. Depending on the level of cover that you have, and the terms of your coverage, certain elements of your tow may be covered while others are not.

For example, some car insurance providers will only cover the first 50 kilometres of a tow, while others will only cover your tow in certain circumstances. Many insurers will cover your tow entirely in circumstances where your vehicle isn’t driveable anymore, but they won’t cover things like burst tyres or running out of fuel. It’s also worth knowing that your insurance will usually cover the whole cost of a tow if you’re involved in a collision as part of the overall insurance settlement.

How does it work?

Depending on the type of insurance you have, the insurance company may expect you to cover the cost and claim it back or they may cover the cost for you on the scene. There are positives and negatives to both, and while it’s nice not to have to hand over any cash yourself at the time, the insurance company will probably choose your tow company for you from an approved list. This means you won’t get any choice over who tows you, which you might if you pay out of pocket.

What about specialty towing?

Most car insurance will only cover fairly basic towing from the roadside, and many towing companies don’t have the technology or the insurance to be able to do anything more complicated than that. You don’t often get the choice over the type of accident that you get into, and if you end up getting stuck in a ditch or in mud or snow, or your vehicle is particularly heavy, you could end up out of luck with your insurer.

You can often get special insurance that covers all kinds of towing, so it could be a good idea to add this to your policy if you think you might be at risk.

Choose the right towing company

Regardless of how you pay for your tow, it’s important that you choose the right company to help you out.

Banjo’s Anytime Towing Service is there when you need it, 24 hours a day across the Northern Territory, offering a great range of towing options including anywhere, anytime recovery and heavy towing options.

Whether you’ve been in an accident or just a breakdown, call us today on 0408 171 392 to book a tow.