AAA Will Be On the Job To Help You During the COVID-19 Crisis

We spoke with employees of AAA today who confirmed that the business is considered essential. Here’s what AAA is planning to do.

During the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, one group we all count on plans to stay available. AAA and its roadside assistance aren't going anywhere. You may not realize it, but AAA’s service vehicles are often called upon by state leaders, police, firefighters, ambulance drivers, and department of public works crews for roadside assistance. In a nutshell, AAA is the go-to first responder when first responders’ vehicles need roadside assistance. In keeping with AAA’s mission, the folks we rely on for help plan to remain on the job.

Here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, non-essential businesses will be closing Tuesday, March 24th at noon per order of Governor Charlie Baker. Coincidental to the timing, we called on AAA to replace a weak battery in a 2016 Subaru Forester. Our technical was a wealth of knowledge on all things batteries and roadside troubleshooting. We asked him if the AAA team knew its plan for the coming week. Indeed, he told Torque News that the plan was to have AAA’s roadside support crews remain on the job.

Related Story: AAA Closes Many DMV Branch Locations

AAA can help you with a dead battery, flat tire, emergency fuel delivery, and much more when your vehicle quits. They also are called upon for towing services after collisions and other mishaps. If you are a vehicle owner you likely knew all of that. But did you also know that it is AAA who fulfills the contracts with the many automakers, rental fleets, and insurance companies that provide you a roadside assistance policy as part of some other purchase? It’s true. AAA is almost always the go-to team, whether or not you are actually calling them from the AAA card in your wallet or the number in your owner’s manual, insurance coverage sheet, or rental agreement.

To get more information on the plan AAA has to stay in operation, we reached out to our friend John Paul, AAA Northeast’s Senior Manager, Public Affairs and Traffic Safety, a.k.a. the Car Doctor. We know John from his work as the New England Motor Press Association’s current and past President. John told us, “I can only speak for our 5 state region, but yes. We are securing any necessary clearance from state authorities to be on the road as essential emergency personal. Our AAA technicians are cleaning their trucks multiple times a day to keep their work environment clean. We are following all state mandates as well as following social distancing practices where practical to protect our members and employees. Members can request roadside assistance 24/7 by calling 800-AAA-HELP, or requesting it online through our mobile app or at AAA.com.”

John Paul told us that AAA's technicians will be practicing social distancing and will not offer a handshake to customers. We noticed that the technician who serviced our vehicle donned gloves before touching our vehicle. In addition to the roadside crews' modified practices, AAA's office staff are mainly working from home during this period to minimize exposure.

Torque News has no financial relationship with AAA.

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. John's focus areas are technology, safety, and green vehicles. In the 1990s, he was part of a team that built a solar-electric vehicle from scratch. His was the role of battery thermal control designer. For 20 years he applied his engineering and sales talents in the high tech world and published numerous articles in technical journals such as Chemical Processing Magazine. In 2008 he retired from that career and dedicated himself to chasing his dream of being an auto writer. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin.