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How does car insurance cover towing?
Make sure you have a tow when you need it.
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Getting stranded without your car is a highly stressful situation, but knowing you have a tow available in case of an accident can be a big relief. If you have a car insurance policy, you should be covered for it at no extra cost in the event of a covered accident, fire or theft, but there may be limits on where or how far they'll take your car. We've put together this guide to help you find out if you're already covered for towing or, if not, how to get it.
Who offers cover for towing?
| Provider | What is towing included in? | How is it covered? | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Comprehensive and third party fire or theft car insurance policy | Recovery of the car Towing to nearest approved repairer or secure storage Storage costs if the car can't be driven | |
 | Comprehensive and third party fire or theft car insurance policy Youi Road Assist | Towing to and storage of car in a nearby safe place | Road Assist: max 20km in metro areas and 50km in regional ones |
 | Two types of comprehensive cover Third party property, fire and theft and third party property damage policies | Towing of car to nearest repairer or safe place | Cover is limited to a single tow For third party property damage only policy, you will only be covered for towing if the other driver was at fault |
 | Comprehensive car insurance policy Third party property, fire and theft policy | Towing of car to nearest repairer, safe place or somewhere else nominated by AAMI Storage costs if necessary | Only covers the cost of one tow |
 | All three levels of comprehensive car cover Third party property, fire and theft policy | Towing your car to Suncorp's nearest repairer or somewhere else it names Storage costs if your car can't be driven | Only covers the cost of a single tow |
 | Comprehensive and third party property, fire and theft car insurance policy | Towing your vehicle to the nearest partner repairer or safe place Reasonable storage costs | No cover for any costs racked up before you've lodged your claim If the repair process ends up costing more than the sum insured, your car will be treated as a total loss and not returned |
 | Comprehensive and third party property, fire and theft car insurance policy Virgin Money roadside assistance | Recovery of the car Towing of the car to the nearest repairer or safe storage Storage costs if the car can't be driven | Roadside assistance: max 15km in metro areas, 50km round trip in rural ones |
 | Comprehensive and Pay As You Drive policies Third party property, fire and theft car insurance | Towing of the car to the nearest safe place | |
 | Comprehensive and Drive Less Pay Less policies Third party property, fire and theft car insurance | Towing of the car to the nearest safe place | |
 | Comprehensive and third party property, fire and theft car insurance policy | Towing to the nearest repairer, safe place or somewhere nominated by RAA | |
 | Comprehensive and third party fire and theft insurance Third party property damage | Towing of car to the nearest repairer or safe place | For third party property damage, towing is only covered if the other driver is at fault |
Get roadside assistance from $7 a month
Is towing included in my car insurance?
Many comprehensive car insurance policies will automatically include towing to the nearest repairer or safe location if an incident occurs. Some plans will even include complimentary roadside assistance, which may result in a tow depending on the state of your car and the particulars of the roadside assistance.
Apart from comprehensive policies, certain insurers like Youi, Budget Direct and Coles offer third party fire and theft policies which have towing costs included. Always check your policy documents to make sure you know what you're covered for.
How am I covered for towing?
For comprehensive policies, you'll likely be covered for towing in the case of any incident included in your policy (such as accidents or attempted theft) if it leaves your car in an undriveable state or far away. For third party fire and theft policies with included towing, your car will probably only be towed if the incident was a fire or attempted theft.
When you've been in an accident or your car needs a tow, you should always call up your provider first. As part of lodging your claim, they may arrange a tow on your behalf. In the event that they leave it up to you to arrange, it's still important that you've called them up to get their advice on what they may or may not cover, and also so that they can assist you in finding an accredited tower near your location so you can be reimbursed.
Most insurers do not provide a distance limit on towing, but do specify that they will only take you as far as the nearest repairer they approve or secure place of storage, like your house. But once again, make sure to check your policy details. For example, Suncorp will only cover you for a single tow, even if your vehicle doesn't end up at a repairer.
Does roadside assistance cover towing?
Yes, in some circumstances. If you obtain roadside assistance, whether it's from your insurer or a dedicated roadside assistance provider, towing should be included as part of the service.
However, unlike towing provided after an incident on an insurance policy, free towing as part of roadside assistance is usually subject to a couple of restrictions:
- Distance limits. Budget Direct's roadside assistance will only tow your vehicle for free up to 15km in a metropolitan area or 50km in a country area. Standalone roadside assistance from RAC offers free towing anywhere from 10km to 300km, depending on whether you're in a metro or country area and which tier you sign up to.
- Size limits. Your vehicle has to be under a certain weight and height, usually less than about 3.5-4 tonnes and no more than 3 or so metres high.
Whether roadside assistance is worth it depends on how likely you think your car is to face routine mechanical issues, since it won't help with a tow in the event of an accident or fire – you'll need car insurance to be covered for that. Also, roadside assistance tends to have a limited service area. While you might be covered for accidents Australia-wide, you simply may not be able to get roadside assistance in some parts of the country.
Picture: GettyImages
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