OCTOBER 31, 2012 BY GingerMommy

Being a mom I seldom travel alone. I always have at least one of the kids with me. Living in the country this means lots of empty roads and night time driving as well. A few years back while I was pregnant with our youngest. Eight months pregnant to be exact. I was driving to the mall in Hamilton with my other children. We were on the highway and out of nowhere felt and heard something off. Immediately I turned off of the busy highway to be safe and pulled over to the side shoulder of the road. I did not have a cell phone at the time and I was not in any position to be doing roadside maintenance. So to say the least, I was stressed.


Instantly I noticed we had a flat tire. I popped open the trunk where I remember seeing a spare and instructed my children to stay in the car. Luckily for me a man who was very nice pulled over and helped us out. I have to admit I was scared and thinking the worst at first. Pregnant woman alone on the road with kids made me feel very vulnerable. The man must have seen I was nervous. He gave me his cell to call my husband and he spoke to him reassuring him he would change our tire. After that he pointed out how I could get back on the highway and sent us on our way. I considered this to be good karma and thanked him for not only stopping but for being so helpful and nice. I could not stop thinking though about what would have happened if nobody had stopped or if the person who stopped was not so nice.

After that, I promised myself to always have a phone and now that I have a CAA membership. I can not imagine life without it. I could have stayed in the car, called for help and been on our way. Quickly, safely and at no extra cost.

CAA offers many services for Roadside Assistance and Safety. Many I am still just finding out about. Some of these services are; (Road Services Guide)

  • Battery assist-Great when you need a boost
  • Emergency gas delivery-for those times when you think you will get there, but do not
  • Tire service– Who wants to be changing a tire on the side of the road? This one to me is most important
  • Towing service– distance depends on your membership, but you will be thankful you have this if ever needed

For a complete list of services check out the link above

Now for me prevention is very important. How to avoid problems before they happen so you do not need emergency assistance is good. CAA offers a variety of Safety options for members.

Access to maps, expert advice and even options for insurance. The support in the community for safety through programs like their School Safety Patrol program shows they are committed.

I truly value my CAA membership and can not imagine life as a female driver and a mom to not have it.

Do you have a membership? What benefits do you value most?