Emergency road service insurance – more than just towing

What does emergency road service insurance cover?

The scope of coverage of emergency road service insurance partly depends on the selected type of comprehensive motor vehicle insurance. Below, you can see examples of additional costs that may be covered by emergency road service insurance in the event that travel is interrupted.

1. Vehicle towing expenses

Emergency road service insurance covers the costs of towing the vehicle to the nearest repair service provider following a technical malfunction or from your home if the vehicle fails to start.

Alternatively, instead of towing costs, the insurance can cover the repair technician’s labour costs and travel expenses if the damage or malfunction is repaired on site. In this case, the maximum compensation is the cost of the towing.

2. Additional travel and accommodation expenses in Finland

Emergency road service insurance covers the driver's transport and travel expenses to their home town or the point of departure or destination, as well as to the passengers’ point of departure or destination in case of:

• Delay in repairs: the motor vehicle is repaired and roadworthy, but the repairs took so long that it was necessary to continue travel by another means of transport.
• Theft: The motor vehicle was stolen and remained missing for so long that it was necessary to continue travel by another means of transport.
• Totalled vehicle: The motor vehicle is damaged beyond repair. 

Transport and travel expenses are only compensated for up to the amount that travelling back home would incur. However, other additional expenses are covered to up to 200 euros in total in all comprehensive motor vehicle insurance options except Super Motor Insurance. Emergency road service insurance included in Super Motor Insurance covers other additional expenses to up to 500 euros in total.

The insurance company has the right to decide the provider of the towing or roadside assistance services to be ordered. Because of this, the service should be ordered either through Pohjola Claim Help or by calling Pohjola Insurance vehicle emergency service at 0303 0303.

If the towing service or roadside assistance covered by the insurance is purchased from a service provider other than the partner designated by the insurance company or the Pohjola vehicle emergency service, the compensation payable equals at most the amount that the partner designated by the insurance company would have charged.

3. Additional travel and accommodation expenses abroad

Emergency road service insurance covers the driver's transport and travel expenses to their home town or the point of departure or destination, as well as to the passengers’ point of departure or destination in case of:

• Delay in repairs: Repairing the damaged or malfunctioning vehicle to a condition required by traffic safety takes more than three working days, and travel must be continued by another means of transport.
• Repair in Finland: The damaged and unroadworthy motor vehicle is not repaired until the vehicle is returned to Finland.
• Theft: The vehicle was stolen, and travel was continued by another means of transport.
• Totalled vehicle: The motor vehicle is damaged beyond repair.

Transport and travel expenses are covered according to the cost of the least expensive possible means of transport within the territorial limits of the insurance up to the amount of expenses incurred by returning home. If the loss occurred outside the Nordic countries, the travel or transport is arranged through the Pohjola vehicle emergency service.

Emergency road service insurance included in Medium Motor Insurance is valid only in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and in transport between these countries.

What travel interruption expenses are not covered?

Emergency road service insurance assists if your travel is interrupted due to a road accident or a technical malfunction in the vehicle. However, the insurance does not cover costs caused by:

• Running out of fuel.
• Running out of electricity if the vehicle uses electric power.
• Deficient maintenance of the vehicle or any of its parts, or excess strain placed on the vehicle.
• The vehicle sinking through the ice on a winter road unless the road is in public use and meets the safety requirements of the road authorities.
• Loss of keys, or leaving the keys inside the vehicle.
• Racing, training for racing, driving practice, or driving on a race track or an area or section of a road closed to public traffic.

Super Motor Insurance emergency road service within the EEA

Emergency road service insurance included in Super Motor Insurance for your company's passenger cars provides security in unexpected situations within the European Economic Area. In EEA countries outside Finland, the insurance may cover the costs of a rental vehicle, which helps ensure that the trip is continued smoothly without causing additional travel expenses to the driver and passengers. 

We cover the expenses of a rental car that is equipped with standard accessories and is equal in size to the insured passenger car specified in the insurance policy and is available. An additional benefit offered by emergency road service insurance included in Super Motor Insurance in the compensation for a rental car is that if the rental car is damaged, and the deductible on its insurance is higher than the deductible of an equivalent insurance policy for the insured car, the insurance covers the deductible difference.

An advance agreement on car rental must always be made with Pohjola's vehicle emergency service. The rental car must be returned to the rental company as instructed by the Pohjola vehicle emergency service. If the car referred to in the insurance policy is repaired abroad, the travel must be planned so that the vehicle can be picked up once it has been repaired. Fuel, deductible waiver payment and other voluntary payments related to renting a car are not covered. Rental car expenses are covered over a maximum of seven days – however, no more than 1,200 euros.