The Drone Assistance project provides emergency assistance and recovery services for drones. TCS aims to ensure drone safety and operational continuity by offering immediate, on-site recovery services. In the case of an unexpected malfunction or emergency landing, a road patrol agent will be dispatched to the landing site, recover the drone and, in the case of medical supplies, deliver the payload to its intended destination, potentially saving lives. As drone delivery services are increasingly used in countries around the world, these services can help drone operators scale and comply with regulatory requirements.​

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roadside assistance sexual assault in Austin

A man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman is behind bars. Austin police said the victim was waiting on the side of a road for help after her tire blew out.

AUSTIN, Texas - A man is behind bars after police say he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman waiting for roadside assistance on the side of the road.

Austin police say 31-year-old Reynaldo Tapia-Arcibar is now charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual abuse.

On May 16 at 3:30 a.m., police got a call from a woman screaming for help saying she had just been sexually assaulted. According to court documents, the woman told police she had been waiting for roadside assistance in Northeast Austin for just over an hour when a man in a white SUV pulled up. 

The woman needed help with a blown out tire and the man tricked her into thinking he was there for that.

The affidavit says the suspect got the victim into his passenger seat and told her he was going to take her to get a new tire. The suspect drove about 10 minutes north to an apartment complex parking lot where he began sexually assaulting the victim.

31-year-old Reynaldo Tapia-Arcibar

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At first, the woman was unable to escape but did send a friend to her location asking for help. The woman was eventually able to get out of the car and ran away, calling 911.

The suspect fled the scene, but seven hours later, police returned to the parking lot and saw a man who matched the suspect's description leaving one of the apartments. Police identified the suspect as Reynaldo Tapia-Arcibar. He was arrested and charged with kidnapping and sexual abuse.

Tapia-Arcibar is being held on a $50,000 bond.

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RoadAider, which recently expanded to the U.S., helps users book contracted service providers for tows, battery boosts and other roadside services.

Temi Okesanya, founder and CEO, RoadAider. Photo courtesy of Temi Okesanya.

This series is part of Avenue‘s innovation newsletter. Sign up to get more news about Calgary’s innovation scene delivered directly to your inbox every Monday.

When Temi Okesanya had a minor vehicle accident on Deerfoot Trail in 2021, he never expected that the driver who towed him to safety would be the first contractor he’d hire for his startup, RoadAider.

Originally from Nigeria, Okesanya was working as a product manager in Calgary at the time of the accident. While that career was already a far cry from his Masters degree in petroleum engineering, being an entrepreneur was not on Okesanya’s bingo card either.

But as he waited on the side of the road, Okesanya was overwhelmed with how many separate steps were required just to get safely off the road: searching online for individual tow truck companies and auto shops, contacting each company to compare prices and then getting on multiple waitlists to get picked up. Above all, Okesanya was most worried about not knowing when a driver would arrive or who they actually were.

He conceptualized the idea for a digital platform to address all of those worries and more, and pitched the idea to that same tow truck driver for feedback.

A year later, Okesanya launched the RoadAider app in 2022. Since then, RoadAider has grown to 16 employees and contracted service providers, assisting thousands of users with tows, battery boosts, tire changes, gas delivery and key lockouts, which can all be requested inside the app. The app also tracks and shares a service provider’s information and location with the user.

This year, with a focus on growing internationally, Okesanya recently attended the annual SXSW festival with Alberta Innovates, securing RoadAider’s first U.S. partnership. Later this summer, he’ll also be part of the 2024 Canadian delegation heading to the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit in Brazil with Futurpreneur.

“The solution we are providing is not constrained geographically,” says Okesanya. “We’re providing that peace-of-mind, that assurance, that wherever our customers are on the road, they’re protected.”

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Accidents on the road are stressful. If you’ve ever had a flat tire, run out of gas, or been stuck with a dead car battery, there’s a chance you've called AAA or a towing company to help you out. Many people don’t realize that the credit card in their pocket may include roadside assistance or get you access to help for a flat fee.

In addition to roadside assistance perks, it’s important to consider factors like annual fees, rewards, and interest rates. Also, consider the different offerings from each card related to roadside dispatch. Here are the best cards with roadside assistance for 2024.

4 credit cards with roadside assistance to have in 2024

		60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.	Up to 10x points per dollar.	towing, gas delivery, tire change, lockout, jump-start, standard winching.	Up to $50 per call, four times per year.
Capital One Savor Rewards		$300 after spending $3,000 in the first three months.		Towing and winching, gas delivery, tire change, jump-start, lockout service.	Flat fee / additional charges paid by cardholder.
				Towing, gas delivery, tire change, lockout, jump-start, winching.
U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card				Towing, gas delivery, tire change, lockout, jump-start, winching.	Flat fee for covered roadside services

Best for luxury travel: card_name

The card_name has among the best roadside assistance benefits of any card around. It includes towing, lockout services (without key replacements), jump-starting, standard winching, and fuel delivery of up to two gallons. Benefits are limited to $50 per incident up to four times per year. Nearly all Chase cards have some form of roadside assistance as well.

The best benefits from this card happen when you’re jet setting your way around the world. The card includes a $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases, airport lounge access, a credit to cover your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership, an impressive list of travel and purchase protections, and one of the best travel rewards points programs around.

With this card, you earn three points per dollar on dining purchases, three points per dollar on travel, and one point per dollar everywhere else. When you book dining and travel through Chase, you can earn much more. For purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards site, you’ll earn five points per dollar on flights, ten points per dollar on hotels and car rentals, and a whopping 10 points per dollar on Chase Dining.

Best for cash back: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One offers roadside assistance on many cards through Visa or Mastercard. Savor Rewards gets its roadside assistance coverage through Mastercard. There’s a flat fee per use, and the cardholder pays for any additional charges. Roadside assistance services include towing and winching, jump-starts, fuel delivery, tire changes, and lockout service.

This card starts out new users with a $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months. You get 4% back on dining, entertainment, and select streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores, and one percent on purchases everywhere else. For a limited time, you’ll get 10% back for purchases at Uber and Uber Eats, plus a complementary Uber One membership. Hotels and rentals cards booked through Capital One Travel earn 5% back, and tickets through Capital One entertainment earn 8%.

Other benefits include helpful travel and purchase protections and insurance. The card requires a $95 annual fee, but most people will easily earn that back and more in cash back rewards when using the card regularly.

Best for no annual Fee: card_name

card_name includes roadside assistance for a flat fee per service call. Each call includes up to five miles of towing, tire changing, jump starting, lockout service, up to five gallons of fuel delivered (not the cost of fuel), and winching up to 100 feet. You’re not covered when offroading, on private roads, or in certain heavy vehicles.

On days when your car is working, you’ll earn 3% back on restaurants and dining (including some delivery services) and 3% back at drugstores. Travel purchases at the Chase Ultimate Rewards site earn 5% back. You get 1.5% cash back on all other purchases with no limits, and there’s no annual fee.

bonus_miles_full

The card also includes a handful of useful travel and purchase benefits, such as purchase protection for 120 on new items and an additional one year of your manufacturer’s extended warranty coverage (limits apply). It also includes auto rental and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. That’s a huge value for a card with no annual fee.

Best for long intro APR period: U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card  

U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card holders get roadside assistance through Visa. For a flat fee of $69.95, you’ll get up to five miles of towing, tire changing, jump starting, lockout service, fuel delivery, or standard winching. Additional service may incur additional charges.

While it doesn’t feature any cash back or travel rewards, the card includes a lengthy 0% introductory APR period. This feature makes the card standout as a good choice for balance transfers and large purchases with a longer period interest-free.

It’s a simple card that’s useful in helping you get out of credit card debt from other cards. In addition to roadside assistance, another noteworthy benefit is cell phone insurance. If you pay your phone bill on the card every month, you’re covered for up to $600 per incident if your phone is stolen or damaged.

Roadside assistance with the Chase Sapphire Reserve

As mentioned above, Chase cards offer roadside assistance through Visa or Mastercard. And the card_name is one of just a few cards from Chase that doesn’t charge a flat rate for roadside service. Because of the Sapphire Reserve’s high annual fee, cardholders receive more benefits, including up to $50 towards roadside services four times per calendar year. 

The covered services include all the standards: towing, lockouts, jump-starts, tire changes, and gas deliveries. 

Roadside dispatch is provided by all Visa credit cards

Visa credit cards all include a roadside dispatch service regardless of your issuer. If you find yourself stranded on the side of the road, you can call a phone number and get someone to tow your car, help you with a lockout, deliver gas, winch you out of a ditch, or assist with other covered situations. With most cards, you have to pay a flat fee per service call, but as long as the problem is covered in the list of services below, you shouldn’t have to pay anything additional. This list may look familiar from the cards above.

Standard towing up to 5 miles included.Tire changing (must have good, inflated spare tire).Jump starting.Lockout service (no key replacement).Fuel delivery up to 5 gallons (plus the cost of fuel).Standard winching.

Look at the benefits guide for your credit card to learn more and to see if the fee you’ll have to pay is listed. If not, ask whoever answers your call how much the service will cost.

Roadside benefits provided by other credit cards 

Some cards from American Express and Citi used to include roadside assistance, but the features have been discontinued. Many Mastercard branded cards include roadside assistance, and certain issuers do a good job of covering many or all cardholders.

Capital One and Chase both feature many cards with roadside assistance, making them a good starting point if you want this benefit.

Read through the benefits guide or call the number on your credit card to get more information on what services your current credit card includes. In general, if your credit card offers roadside dispatch and has a low or no annual fee, you should expect to pay a flat fee for every service call and pay for any additional or uncovered services yourself.

Credit card roadside assistance vs. AAA

AAA is an automobile club that can provide similar benefits as a credit card’s roadside assistance. Members can join different tiers, which give them various coverage levels. Services extend beyond what a typical credit card’s roadside dispatch will get you. Higher-tier AAA members can receive significant reimbursements for home or locksmith fees, 200 miles of towing, and larger fuel deliveries.

The convenience of roadside assistance through your credit card can’t be overstated. It can also save you money, as a AAA membership comes with an annual fee. If you don’t have roadside assistance through your credit card and are traveling, you can also consider buying travel insurance, which sometimes comes with roadside dispatch services.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Do Amex cards have roadside assistance? 

American Express dropped roadside assistance from its cards, and it’s no longer available. The premium card_name and card_name do not include roadside assistance benefits, among other Amex cards.

What is a AAA alternative? 

Alternatives to AAA include memberships with other motor clubs, roadside assistance coverage from an insurance company, or if you’re traveling, travel insurance. Having some form of roadside assistance available to you is a good idea since you never know when an accident might happen.

Can I buy roadside assistance separately?

Yes, purchasing a single service is possible after an accident. If roadside assistance is available to you through your credit card, check what fee you’ll have to pay, if any, before seeking separate roadside assistance.

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Do you own a Fisker Ocean? If so, you'd better get that AAA account set up ASAP. The company emailed owners on Sunday saying it's officially discontinued its roadside assistance program.

Per Fisker's email:

Despite our best efforts, we regret to announce that Fisker Roadside Assistance is no longer available.

In light of this development, we encourage you to explore the coverage options through your auto insurance provider and/or auto club membership. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that we are actively exploring alternative options to address this situation.

We will continue to keep you updated on any developments and provide timely communication regarding this matter. Your satisfaction and support are of utmost importance to us, and we are committed to ensuring that your needs are met to the best of our abilities.

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Image: Fisker

The prognosis for Fisker owners seems to get worse and worse every week. The bankruptcy is still a looming threat, and the company is essentially having a fire sale to get rid of leftover inventory even though an Ocean is probably the last thing anyone should be buying right now. Now comes word that things have gotten slightly worse for Ocean owners.

Henry Lloyd-Hughes Bought His First Car In An English Pub

Autoevolution reports that Fisker has sent out an email to Ocean owners in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that, effective immediately, their roadside assistance is gone. It might be a shock to some, but as Autoevolution pointed out, it was only a matter of time; the company recently cut roadside assistance for European owners as well.

According to Fisker’s site, the automaker offered roadside assistance for six years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Available 24/7, it covered things like flat tires, mechanical breakdowns, lockout, etc.

Autoevolution says Fisker apologized to owners for the inconvenience of canceling the roadside assistance, though its roadside assistance policy did state that the company “...reserves the right to revise or discontinue specific Roadside Assistance Benefits at any time without notice or refund, reimbursement or credit to the owner.” So even though Fisker notifying owners of the change was something that it didn’t have to do, owners are still mad and scrambling.

Over on Reddit at r/Fisker, owners are discussing the change. One commenter speculated that Fisker — much like other roadside assistance services such as AAA — operated the service through independent contractors. Given the state of the company and its finances however, contractors started backing out, hence the service was eventually cancelled.

Hopefully Ocean warranty coverage itself isn’t the next thing that goes.

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In its 20 years of providing roadside service, here are AutoVantage's Top 5 problems on the road, garnered from more than 1 million roadside assistance dispatches:

Breakdowns requiring tows (60%)

Other auto insights from the experts at AutoVantage:

Car life spans continue to improve. In 1977, half of the vehicles had a life expectancy of 10.5 years and 107,000 miles. By 1990, 50% survived from 12.5 years and 127,000 miles, and now average car life expectancies are 13 years and 152,000 miles.

It's estimated that there's nearly one car for every American of driving age.

Median automobile age is nine years.

Number of those reaching driving age is the largest since the Baby Boom.

Average new car spend: $22,600.

Average used car spend: $9,000.

Average auto loan length: five years.

Estimated cars in use in the U.S: 135 million.

Average annual car maintenance costs: $650.

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Fisker is reportedly in talks with several companies about a potential take-over, but a deal hasn't been announced yet and its troubles aren't over. The brand has notified owners of the Ocean, its only production model, that it will no longer provide a roadside assistance service.

"We have an important update regarding our Roadside Assistance services that we want to share with you. Despite our best efforts, we regret to announce that Fisker Roadside Assistance is no longer available," the brand wrote in an email sent to its customers in May 2024.

Several owners posted a screenshot of the email on Reddit, and a spokesperson for Fisker confirmed that roadside assistance is no longer available in our market in a statement sent to website CarScoops. Roadside assistance has already been canned in markets across Europe.

Details about the service still appear on Fisker's website. Roadside assistance was available in all 50 states, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. The plan was valid for six years or 60,000 miles after the sale date, whichever came first. It covered a wide range of problems including mechanical disablement, a loss of power, a flat tire, and a lockout. Crucially, the fine print notes that Fisker "reserves the right to revise or discontinue specific roadside assistance benefits at any time without notice or refund, reimbursement, or credit to the owner."

Fisker's recent financial problems are well documented, but the company seemingly believes there's a light at the end of the tunnel. It added three stores to its American dealer network in May 2024: Newport Fisker in Orange County, Fisker of San Jose, and Belford Fisker in New Jersey. These outlets will initially help the brand liquidate its inventory of left-over 2023 cars, which received a big price cut earlier in 2024.

However, Fisker reportedly sent its staff members an email warning of company-wide layoffs that could start on June 28, 2024.

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Owners of the Fisker Ocean EV no longer have access to the previously promised 6-year or 60,000-mile roadside assistance service

Fisker owners in the U.S. received an email informing them that the Roadside Assistance service is “no longer available”.

The news follow earlier reports about Fisker’s Roadside Assistance line not being accessible.

The 6-year or 60k-mile service was described as a “limited and supplemental benefit”.

Update: Fisker has confirmed our report, and in a statement to us, they said, “Roadside assistance is no longer available in the United States“.

Fisker has discontinued its roadside assistance service in the U.S. market, dealing another blow to owners of the electric Ocean SUV. This decision follows closely on the heels of a similar move in Europe. The company has notified owners via email, advising them to explore alternative roadside assistance solutions for their electric vehicles.

A Reddit user who owns a Fisker Ocean received the following email from the company: “Dear Valued Fisker Ocean Owner, we hope you are enjoying your Fisker driving experience to the fullest. We have an important update regarding our Roadside Assistance services that we want to share with you. Despite our best efforts, we regret to announce that Fisker Roadside Assistance is no longer available.”

More: Report Claims Fisker Using Prototype And ‘Graveyard’ Parts To Fix Customer Cars, Company Denies

Other owners have confirmed receiving the same message in their inbox, indicating a nationwide change in policy. This development follows earlier reports of certain customers being unable to access Fisker’s roadside assistance, with their calls being redirected to the company’s normal service line. We have reached out to Fisker for an official confirmation and will update this story accordingly if we receive a response.

Despite informing owners, Fisker has yet to take down the Roadside Assistance policy page from their official website. The service was described as a “limited and supplemental benefit provided for Fisker Ocean vehicles for 6 years or 60,000 miles (100,000 km), whichever occurs first, beginning at the point of sale of a new vehicle.”

Roadside Assistance Over
byu/x2OhSeven inFisker

No more Fisker roadside assistance?
byu/KeyBoardWarriorJD inFisker

Fisker’s emergency Roadside Assistance, touted as available ’24 hours a day, 365 days a year,’ covered potential issues such as mechanical disablement, flat tires, loss of power, being locked out of the vehicle, and winch services. However, it’s worth noting that on the same page, the company explicitly “reserves the right to revise or discontinue specific Roadside Assistance Benefits at any time without notice or offering refunds, reimbursement, or credits to the owner”.

The electric startup has been grappling with severe financial troubles in recent months. The company, which has already enlisted a restructuring officer, faces lawsuits over unpaid fees, the recent bankruptcy of its Austrian unit, and the suspension of Fisker Ocean production by Magna Steyr.

On a slightly more positive note, recent price reductions have spurred sales of the remaining stock of the Ocean, providing a much-needed boost to the company’s financial stability. Additionally, Fisker has unveiled plans to open three new dealership locations in California and New Jersey, expanding its U.S. network to a total of 15 dealerships.

However, uncertainty looms as the company has internally communicated to employees the possibility of mass layoffs starting on June 28, 2024.

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roadside assistance Gone" title="Fisker Ocean Roadside Assistance Gone" data-title="Fisker Ocean Roadside Assistance Gone" width="600" height="340"/>
8 photos

Photo: Fisker / x2OhSeven on Reddit / Edited

Fisker just told Ocean owners in North America that they would immediately lose access to 24/7 Roadside Assistance. The perk was an integral part of the warranty. Still, the company has a couple of recommendations for its supporters.

Fisker didn't want to wait until Monday to break the news. It sent Ocean owners from the US, including Puerto Rico, an email to inform them that Roadside Assistance is effectively gone.

Those who kept up with the company's story anticipated that this could happen to American customers, too. About a month ago, this perk was taken away from European customers.

Fisker said that it tried hard to figure out a solution, but, in the end, couldn't keep this option available as explained in the policy that joined the warranty.

Roadside Assistance was available 24/7 for issues such as mechanical disablement, flat tire(s), loss of power, vehicle accessibility, and winching. Fisker offered it to Ocean owners for a period of six years or until their EVs displayed 60,000 miles on the odometer.

The brand apologized and recommended that buyers look for alternatives. It said that adequate insurance coverage or an auto club membership could replace the company's roadside assistance policy.

The reborn startup promised to continue to "actively" seek alternatives. However, it's unlikely that this benefit will return.

To its credit, the marque informed buyers that Roadside Assistance benefits could be revised or discontinued at any time, even without notice. So, this email is Fisker showing courtesy.

Now, customers are worried that Fisker might want to put Premium Connectivity, which includes the 4G internet connection, behind a paywall, too. It already told buyers of Ultra and Sport trims that they would lose a bunch of features at the end of 2024.

However, since the company is trying to bring in more cash in every way possible, it could ask owners to start paying for as many features as possible before they were supposed to. They might want to do that if they want Fisker to survive.

Some would argue that you should never bet on a dead horse or a company that a designer and their spouse run. To them, you can say that life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards. Everyone's an expert in retrospect. But what would life be without a small gamble every once in a while, right?

It's not the end of the road for Fisker, but it certainly feels like someone is forcing the leadership to take all the unpopular measures with the hope that something might be worked out at some point. It remains to be seen if an automotive designer's dream can survive in this cutthroat industry that is the car world.

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