Roadside SOS

Member Benefits

CAA offers unparalleled Roadside SOS through our renowned Emergency Road Service program, which offers a comprehensive package of services to our members. As a member, you can place your Emergency Road Service request online by clicking here

Emergency Road Service (ERS) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is designed to assist you in an emergency when the vehicle you are either driving or riding in becomes disabled. Your membership coverage is personal to you and applies to those Emergency Road Services listed below. Additional Associate memberships may be purchased to extend the same coverage to other family members. With optional CAA Plus you receive enhanced benefits to the advantages already enjoyed as a Regular Member.

Provision Service

Emergency Road Service is provided to CAA Members upon presentation of their valid CAA membership card. CAA membership benefits are NOT transferable and therefore service will not be provided if the vehicle and/or membership card is in the possession of a non-member. Your CAA membership is personal, which means individuals are covered, not cars.

Eligible Vehicles

Service applies to all properly licensed, four-wheeled, motor driven vehicles of the passenger, pleasure or recreational type (vans, campers and motor homes), regardless of license plate designation, if those services can be safely delivered with automobile servicing equipment including sling, wheel lift devices, car carriers (flatbed), and dolly wheels.

Dual wheel campers/motor homes are eligible for all services except towing, extrication/ winching and tire service. Dual wheel unloaded pickup trucks are eligible for all emergency road services except tire service. Rented passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles are also eligible for emergency road service. Excluded from emergency road service are taxis, limousines, school buses. Motorcycles are covered under the Plus level of membership.

Getting Help !

The local emergency telephone numbers are listed on the back of your membership card. For service in the Metro Ottawa area, call (613) 820-1400.

For service outside of the Metro Ottawa area and any CAA North & East Ontario Territory where it is long distance to Ottawa, call this toll free number: 1-800-CAA-HELP (222-4357).

When outside CAA North & East Ontario Club Territory, check the local telephone book white page listings for the closest CAA/AAA service or call the Supernumber at 1-800-CAA-HELP (222-4357).

Note: Emergency Road Services provided to CAA Members by other CAA/AAA Clubs are based on Road Service Policies applied by the servicing Clubs to their own Members. Other Club policies may differ from those of CAA North & East Ontario.

Before you call for Emergency Road Service, please have the following information available:

1. Your CAA membership number and club code number
2. Date of membership expiry
3. Your name
4. Problem with vehicle (e.g. can't start, stuck, flat tire, lockout, etc.)
5. Make, model, year and colour of vehicle
6. Vehicle license number
7. Exact location of the vehicle (address and nearest cross street) or the point of safety from which your are calling (telephone number if possible).

Return to the vehicle or to the agreed upon point of safety to wait for the service person's arrival. Present your valid membership card (and other identifications). The service person is not permitted to charge the Club unless the Member has a valid personal membership in his/her possession. You, the Member, must be with the car in order to receive service.

Coverage for CAA Basic members

COVERAGE BEGINS 24 HOURS AFTER FULL PAYMENT RECEIVED

Battery Boost
A service person will attempt to boost the battery in order to start the disabled vehicle.

Mechanical Adjustments
A service person will attempt to make minor mechanical adjustments which may enable the disabled vehicle to proceed under its own power.

Fuel Delivery
A limited supply of fuel will be delivered to your disabled vehicle to enable you to reach the nearest open service station or your vehicle will be towed in accordance with the towing provisions, listed below, to a facility where fuel is available. Specific brands or octane ratings cannot be promised. The cost of the fuel will be based on pump prices current at the time of delivery.

Flat Tire Service
A flat tire will be replaced with the Member's inflated and mounted spare. If no spare is available, the vehicle will be towed to the nearest repair facility.

Lockout Service
If your keys are locked inside the vehicle, service will be sent to gain entrance. If the keys are lost, broken or the service provider cannot gain entrance to your vehicle, locksmith service, or reimbursement for locksmith service up to $50.00, will be provided. In cases where the vehicle cannot be made operable, towing service will also be provided in accordance with CAA North & East Ontario towing provisions.

Towing Service
When your vehicle cannot be safely driven after attempting any of the listed emergency road services, your vehicle will be towed to the ERS facility rendering the service or a repair facility en route, or 5 kilometers in any direction from the point of disablement at no charge. Towing beyond this point will be at your expense.

The use of car carriers (flatbeds) will be at your expense unless specified as necessary by the vehicle's manufacturer.

In instances when the vehicle becomes disabled while towing a light duty trailer, emergency road service will be provided for the trailer (excludes fifth-wheel trailers). You may be required to pay for trailer towing.

CAA North & East Ontario reserves the right to determine the towing equipment required to provide emergency road service and the towing procedures to be followed.

Extricating/Winching Service
The vehicle will be extricated/winched when it can be safely reached from a normally travelled or established thoroughfare. If special equipment, additional manpower or vehicles are required, the associated costs may be at your expense.

NOTE: To avoid an emergency road service call being charged to your membership file, you may choose to submit towing costs incurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident, including collision, fire or theft, to your insurance company as part of your damage claim. Similarly, you may submit towing costs to the vehicle's warrantor should they be incurred as a result of failure of warranty repairs.

Emergency Repair Cheque Acceptance
Participating CAA North & East Ontario Approved Auto Repair Service facilities will accept your personal cheque with the use of a valid membership card and identification at time of payment for up to $250.00 for emergency repairs and emergency road services when no other means of payment is available, (i.e. cash, credit card). The name on the cheque must match the Member's name. This service is limited to emergency repairs which must be carried out in order to render the vehicle operable. A service charge of $20.00 will be applied on NSF cheques.

Reimbursements
If you have followed the procedure outlined to obtain Emergency Road Service, and CAA service is not available, you may obtain your own emergency road service, pay for it and submit the original receipt (no photocopies or faxes are acceptable) to your CAA North & East Ontario club within 30 days. Reimbursement will be based on the prevailing commercial rate for the region where the vehicle was disabled.

Refunds will be provided if:
The Member attempted to contact and use the nearest CAA/AAA Outlet.
The emergency road service provided was in accordance with Emergency Road Service Benefits.
Note: If CAA/AAA facilities are not used by the Member, the reimbursement amount will be based upon the Club's contract rate in the breakdown area.


Some Canadian and USA turnpikes and thruways prohibit AAA service. In this instance, you will be required to secure your own service and submit the bill to your Club for full reimbursement, subject to Club benefits.

For lockout reimbursement see information under Lockout Service.

Click here for Reimbursement Form

Excessive Use of Emergency Road Service
In fairness to all Members, Emergency Road Service is not to be used as a substitute for proper vehicle maintenance. CAA North & East Ontario has set reasonable limitations on the number of Emergency Road Service calls provided to each Member per membership year.

Members are entitled to four (4) Emergency Road Services in one membership year. Service at a special rate will be offered to all members who exceed this limit and they will be required to pay the ERS driver at the time of service. Full ERS benefits are reinstated upon renewal of your membership.

CAA Plus Coverage Advantages

PLUS COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE 48 HOURS AFTER FULL PAYMENT RECEIVED

CAA North & East Ontario's PLUS membership provides for the delivery of Emergency Road Service, free of charge, from the nearest CAA/AAA facility, up to 200 kilometers in CAA North & East Ontario territory (160 km CAA Standard) in any direction from the point of breakdown to the repair facility of your choice.

Your PLUS coverage begins 48 hours after the date of payment being received. Emergency Road Service which was required prior to the purchase or renewal of the Plus membership, or subsequent to the expiration of a Plus membership will be provided at the Member's expense.

Plus - Eligible Vehicles
Plus enhances Emergency Road Service to include motorcycles (with or without sidecar).

Plus - Fuel Delivery
Plus Members will receive a limited supply of fuel, free of charge. If fuel cannot be provided, the Plus towing provision will apply.

Plus - Lockout Service
Plus Members will receive Plus Locksmith service up to $100.00. If a locksmith is not available or cannot make the vehicle operable, the Plus towing provision will also apply.

Plus - Towing Benefits
If the service person is unable to resolve the difficulty at the scene, free towing will be provided up to 200 km in CAA North & East Ontario territory (160 km CAA Standard) in any direction from the point of disablement to the repair facility of your choice. Areas outside of CAA territory may provide 160 km of towing with the balance being charged to the Member. The Member may in turn request reimbursement from CAA North & East for the balance of 40 km of a 200 km tow.

Plus - Extrication Service
If required, CAA Plus includes a second truck and operator for up to one hour at the scene of disablement.

Plus - Refunds
If a Plus Member attempts to obtain Club Emergency Road Service and it is not available, a full reimbursement will be provided for CAA Plus Services at reasonable commercial rates for private service. Itemized paid receipts can be submitted through any CAA North & East Ontario office within thirty (30) days of the date of occurrence.

Plus - Maximum Number of Calls Allowed
A PLUS Member is entitled to a maximum of four (4) Emergency Road Services per membership year. The four services may be any combination of four PLUS or four Regular services. Each PLUS Associate Member is entitled to four (4) emergency road services per membership year. The four emergency road services may be any combination of four PLUS or four REGULAR services. (i.e. 2 Regular and 2 Plus services; or 3 Regular and 1 Plus service; or 1 Regular and 3 Plus services; or 4 Regular services; or 4 Plus services, etc.)

Benefits for CAA Plus RV Members

CAA Plus RV benefits provide enhancements to a CAA PLUS Membership to include your dual wheel camper, motor home or pickup with camper, or trailer.

UP TO 200 KILOMETERS OF FREE TOWING
In the event of an accident or breakdown, or whenever the following benefits fail to make your vehicle operable, CAA Plus RV provides up to 200 kms of FREE towing in CAA North & East Ontario territory (160 kms CAA Standard) from the point of breakdown to the repair facility of your choice.

FLAT TIRE SERVICE
CAA Plus RV provides for the replacing of the flat tire with the vehicle's mounted spare, in areas where this service is available. If service is not available, the vehicle will be towed up to 200 km (160 kms CAA Standard) from the point of breakdown to a repair facility of your choice.

FREE FUEL
If you run out of fuel, CAA PLUS RV provides at no additional cost a sufficient amount of emergency fuel to enable you to reach the nearest service station or a tow in accordance with the above towing provisions to a facility where fuel is available.

LOCK AND KEY SERVICE
If your keys are lost or locked in the vehicle CAA PLUS RV provides up to $100 for parts and labour for locksmith service required to either gain access to the vehicle or make it operable. If the vehicle cannot be made operable, the Plus RV towing provisions will apply.

EXTRICATION SERVICE
If required, CAA PLUS RV includes a second truck and operator for up to one hour at the scene of disablement.

REIMBURSEMENT FOR NON-CAA EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE
Any time you need Emergency Road Service and it is not available through CAA, CAA PLUS RV enables you to be reimbursed for CAA PLUS RV services obtained at prevailing commercial rates from the facility nearest the breakdown location.

PLUS RV - Maximum Number of Services Allowed
A PLUS RV Member is entitled to a maximum of four (4) services per membership year. The four (4) services may be any combination of four PLUS or four PLUS RV or four Regular services. Each PLUS Associate Member is entitled to four (4) Emergency Road Services per membership year. The four services may be any combination of four PLUS RV or four PLUS or four Regular services. (i.e. 1 Regular, 1 PLUS and 2 PLUS RV services; or 2 Regular, 1 PLUS and 1 PLUS RV services; or 1 Regular, 2 PLUS and 1 PLUS RV services; or 4 Regular services; or 4 PLUS services; or 4 PLUS RV services; etc.)

Service Limitations

Under your membership, Emergency Road Service will be provided without charge from the nearest available CAA/AAA contract facility. Your service call will include a trip to the disabled vehicle and a reasonable amount of time at the scene to make your vehicle operable.

We select ERS facilities for their ability to handle service calls, but we cannot guarantee that these facilities will always have the parts and equipment to make repairs.

When your vehicle cannot be made operable by providing the services listed in this brochure, CAA will assist you in finding the nearest open place of repair. If a repair facility cannot be located, CAA North & East Ontario will assist you in obtaining lodging or alternative transportation, which will be at your expense.

For your protection, Emergency Road Service cannot be provided to an unattended vehicle. In extenuating circumstances, an exception may be made if prior arrangements have been made with the Club.

At your request and at your cost, the club will, if appropriate, arrange for you to be transported back to your disabled vehicle and transported after services have been rendered.

During severe weather conditions, civil disturbances or national emergencies, emergency road service may be temporarily suspended.

In most areas, Emergency Road Service facilities are independent businesses and are not employees of the Canadian Automobile Association or its affiliates. Responsibility for losses, damage or unsatisfactory workmanship remains with the ERS facility providing the service.

Emergency Road Services not covered by your membership include:

• Second or additional trips by the service person on any one call, including re-tows.
• A vehicle which is abandoned, is to be towed to a salvage yard, has failed a safety inspection, is impounded due to a legal infraction, is unplated, or unlicensed.
• Service to a vehicle willfully driven into an area not regularly travelled, e.g., vacant lot, open fields, beaches, unpassable private or recreational roads, yards, mud or snow filled driveways or alleys (service persons will not shovel snow), construction sites, or other locations which cannot be reached safely.
• Service to school buses, motorcycles (under Basic membership), and vehicles for hire, identified as taxis and limousines.
• Impound and storage fees due to towing as a result of infractions of local ordinances or laws.
• Cost of parts, labour, and repairs.
• Accepting appointments for service calls.

It is the CAA's goal to provide you with the highest quality Emergency Road Service available.

All CAA/AAA Clubs maintain the highest quality Emergency Road Service available throughout Canada, the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Certain benefits may vary from Club to Club.

Please help us maintain these high standards of Emergency Road Service. Any comments you may have will enable us to continually improve our service.

Please address your comments to caaautomotive@caaneo.on.ca