Good Hands to the Rescue for Cortland Families Preparing for Spring and Summer Road Trips

It’s that time of year when Cortland-area families load up the car, fill up the gas tank and gear up for springtime or summertime road trips. Whether you have your sights set on traveling to places close to home or you plan to cruise outside the state to National Parks or even hotels in Laguna Beach, Allstate is reminding you of a few simple precautions to help make your road travel safer.

Having a disabled or undrivable vehicle is never an enjoyable experience, yet a survey commissioned by Allstate Roadside Services found almost every driver in America has been in this situation. The majority (74 percent) had a flat tire. Seventy percent of drivers had a dead battery. Sixty-two percent of Americans had an accident. About 54 percent of people polled couldn’t get their car to start and 36 percent ran out of gas. Many of the drivers surveyed experienced more than one of these problems.

“The likelihood of running into problems while you’re on the road makes it imperative you know what to do and who to contact if the unexpected happens,” said Kayla Taylor, Allstate spokesperson. “No one wants to experience a flat tire or break down at any time. But you certainly don’t want vehicle troubles to leave you stranded on the side of the road when you have your kids in the backseat.”

Allstate offers the following tips before you leave for that family vacation:

• Make sure your car is road-ready. Before setting out on your trip, have a mechanic give your vehicle the once-over, including preventive maintenance such as an oil change, tire check, new wipers or filter replacement.

• Be sure to pack an emergency car kit. A well-equipped kit can fit in the trunk and might include a flashlight, water, hand sanitizer, whistle, emergency radio, and energy bars.

• Keep your phone fully charged so you can make contact and get the roadside assistance you need.

Allstate recommends downloading the free Good Hands RescueSM app before beginning your family vacation or whenever you plan to be on the road. You don’t have to be an Allstate customer to use the app, and you pay only after your service is complete. On average, through the mobile app, a tow charge will run $99 for the first five miles, a battery jump will cost $69 and having a tow operator come to change a flat tire may run $69.

You also can use your smartphone to track the provider’s en route status. Information like that can be invaluable when it comes to keeping children entertained or in good spirits until help arrives. The Good Hands RescueSM app can be downloaded for free from Apple or Google Play, or visit Allstate’s mobile website

For More information and a new quote please call Shirley Eizember, Pinckney Insurance Agency, 41 Port Watson St, Cortland New York. 607-756-8505

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life’s uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®.” The Allstate brand’s network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2014, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $34 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.

Survey results are based on a national, online survey of adults conducted July 1-6, 2015 on behalf of Allstate by FTI Consulting. This survey focused on the respondent’s experiences and needs during times when roadside assistance is necessary. The online survey was conducted among a sample of 1,000 adults age 18 and older living across the United States.

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