A little “off subject” but in reviewing AAA app/website for roadside assistance, it appears you cannot cell phone text “for help” even if you are a member. Now I’m currently reviewing new HA’s for purchase but my current aids (2012) do not have bluetooth/streaming capability. In any case I recently bought a new iPhone 7 Plus thinking in a car emergency I could text AAA for assistance.
Anyone on HT have text capability to contact AAA through their cell phones? If not then is my only option to try and use TTY mode on my iPhone 7 - if that option exists? I always thought TTY required other devices and preferably a hard line connection. So I’d appreciate knowing if anyone has used TTY on a iPhone and if its a practical way to request AAA road service (by text messaging) in case of a car breakdown or accident.
I have been wondering the same thing. I don’t currently own a cell phone, but thought I should make that purchase for this very reason. Will be interested to hear what others say.
For comparison, here’s State Farm’s 24x7 roadside assistance program:
when I discovered my State Farm car insurance covered towing, etc., I stopped subscribing to AAA (although my dad was a lifelong member). I also felt that in being towed to an AAA service center, that I was at their judgement and pricing mercy as to what needed to be done whereas in town, I could get towed to my Honda dealership (it’s been decades since I used AAA - sorry for ignorance as to how AAA roadside service currently works). Presumably, you could have your phone browser preconfigured with autofill for the road ERS application and set it as a favorite in your browser if one were a State Farm customer - and having phone GPS turned on would automatically give a service like State Farm’s one’s location. Texting would not provide a location, AFAIK. Presumably a few seconds or a few minutes to summon help is not a big deal. If seconds count for safety, it might be a “call 911 FIRST” situation, e.g., broken down on a dark section of Interstate at night and unable to get off the road.
If the OP moves the thread to the SOCIAL category, I don’t think anyone can complain that this thread is off-topic.
Edit_Update: Amongst other things, you can summon roadside assistance through the State Farm app:
and, if you want to let State Farm monitor your driving, you can save up to 5% on your auto insurance with the following app:
I have no association with State Farm other than having been a customer for the last 30 years. Before that I was predominantly an Allstate or Geico customer.
Jim - I’m not sure you understood the gist of post. It wasn’t the fact that there are multiple services available to respond to driver assistance for roadside service. I’m quite aware there are other options than AAA for roadside emergency response. My question pertained to text messaging (if someone cannot use a cell phone) to request roadside service through a contracted service. Which in my case is AAA. Where my car gets towed is a completely a different subject for a different day. Appreciate the feedback, but your post was some what overkill.
Might reflect my ignorance of modern cars (I drive a 2007 Honda Accord with no fancy electronics in it-other than the hi-fi system). I wasn’t aware that a car by itself without a cell phone can send and receive text messages, if that’s what would support texting without a cell phone). I thought the basic problem, no matter how you did it, was that AAA wouldn’t support texting, so I just wanted to point out that there are other services besides AAA that do support communication that doesn’t require hearing or talking on a cell phone (but would require a cell phone unless the car dashboard screen can be used to remotely operate a phone app).
I hope, too, although your needs may be specific, that there is no harm in offering information to others who read this thread and who might be interested more generally in what sort of alternatives exist relative to the overall gist of the conversation. That’s what a forum is: “a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.” I think it’s fair for others to offer views that differ from your own - and it happens quite a lot on HT between users in general (not meaning between you and me).
In fairness to AAA, the AAA app can be used to summon roadside assistance, find repair centers, get a battery price, etc.
Thanks for your very polite reply. Sorry if I’m “barking” up the wrong tree!
The CAA does. In fact they give updates on location. Seems strange the AAA would not.
You first go to their web site to enter your account
and the details for assistance. Maybe that’s true of the AAA?
ECU (Exhaust Delta and EFi), ABS, Stability Control, AC, Fieldbus for Windows, lighting, wipers, instrumentation…
It might not have the same level of comms as modern cars, but you’d be equally in trouble after an EMP discharge.
On this: my previous Ford (2015) had an automatic Ford Assist option when you connected your phone to the Bluetooth that pinpointed you to the emergency services in the event of an accident and automatically made the call to them.
I do have an OBDII scan tool for my Android phone so I am cheating a bit in my description - perhaps I should have said “no user-interfaced interactive fancy electronics” - I have benefited a time or two from vehicle stability assist preventing me from rolling or swerving out of control when something unexpected popped up and I moved the steering wheel too much in avoiding a collision.
Not sure you have to have an EMP discharge to appreciate all the electronics you can easily fry- just doing the wrong thing with battery cables can be bad news!
AAA doesn’t need direct texting, their app works perfectly well, I have summoned assistance several times for myself and others this past year using just the app, no voice comms needed. Better still, the app will locate you for them, and show you their progress.
Jeff thanks for reply - I worked my way partially through the AAA app (not completely testing) but thought at some point it required voice communication for AAA membership number, reported car problem, general location, etc. If all of that is addressed through app online connection - than that’s good news.
