CAA Saskatchewan has rolled out a new service that will help members unable to personally drive their vehicle home.
Ride Assist is part of CAA’s Roadside Assistance service and could cover issues such as family emergencies, physical impairment, health issues, vision concerns or medical emergencies. Members will be allowed to use the service once per calendar year. A call to Ride Assist will be counted as a roadside assistance call on a member’s account.
“When the member finds that, for whatever reason, they are unable to drive themselves safely home, they can call for a ride assist,” said CAA Saskatchewan spokesperson Christine Niemczyk.
“We’ve all been to the optometrist, had drops in our eyes, and maybe we need more time to get home. Whatever that member feels is preventing them from saying ‘ you know, I’m just not feeling that safe getting behind the wheel.’”
The service has been rolled out in other jurisdictions and has been welcomed by those members.
“Other clubs across the country have been doing this. And it’s something that we as an organization have been looking at as well,” Niemczyk said.
“We thank (our members) for their membership, but we also want to see what else we can do. We’re continually looking for ways and means to enhance a membership and give something that might be of value.”
Originally, the plan was to roll out ride assist in the fall, but since making the announcement there has been a lot of interest, and CAA Saskatchewan has decided to roll out the program immediately.
To access the service, CAA members can call Roadside Assistance by phone at 1-800-222-4357, online or via the CAA’s app. Members will then be driven home with their vehicle in tow.
“Advocacy and safety for driver and road safety have always been a priority at our automobile club,” said Fred Titanich, president and CFO of CAA Saskatchewan in a press release.
“We have added Ride Assist as a value-added benefit for our members, for their safety and for the safety of other drivers on the road.”
