Obtaining roadside assistance is one of the smartest items that a driver can get. What many people do not realize, though, is that they may be able to get roadside assistance through their auto insurance carrier; they don’t need to go through a separate agency to obtain this valuable service.Many of the major auto insurance carriers offer roadside assistance as an additional rider on an insurance policy. The premiums for adding roadside assistance to an auto insurance policy generally cost less than what the independent roadside assistance programs charge for the same basic service. It often costs less than $20 per car to add roadside assistance to an insurance plan for one year. This makes it an attractive offer to those who are only looking to have coverage if they need a tow, run out of gas, need a flat changed, need a battery charged, or lock themselves out of their car. Auto insurance roadside assistance plans usually only cover these basic services. They do not provide any additional services such as trip planning or theme park discounts that some of the independent roadside assistance agencies offer.It’s easy to find out if a specific auto insurance carrier offers supplemental roadside assistance. An Internet search with the company’s name followed by the words “roadside assistance” should pull up information about the insurance company and its roadside assistance plan. If no information comes up in your search query, you can simply call your insurance carrier’s toll-free number to quickly obtain that information. You can also obtain free quotes on roadside assistance auto insurance plans here at AutoCarInsurance.org.For drivers who are looking to get the security that the basic services of a roadside assistance plan offers, getting that plan through their auto insurance company is often the easiest and most cost-effective way to go. In the event of a break down or an unfortunate lock out, they will be covered and will not have to worry about where help will be coming from.