Allstate Introduces First Free-to-Join Roadside Service

Just in time for the holidays, Good Hands(SM) Roadside offers drivers protection against 'Mayhem' on the roads

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Nov 18, 2010, 09:00 ET

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation's highways swell with holiday drivers, a flat tire, dead battery or other car trouble is the kind of "Mayhem" motorists may experience. That's why Allstate (NYSE: ALL) today announced the launch of Good Hands(SM) Roadside Assistance, the first free-to-join, pay-per-use, roadside assistance service that is available to all drivers, not just Allstate customers. Consumers can register by visiting www.goodhandsroadside.com.

Allstate created Good Hands Roadside to offer protection to the 35 million American households that don't have roadside assistance services. The company also wants to provide an alternative for the 52 million households with roadside assistance that pay annual fees. Studies show the average driver uses their service only once every three years.

"With the launch of Good Hands Roadside, Allstate continues to broaden the definition of protection with new products and services consumers want in the ways they want them," said Chuck Paul, group vice president, Emerging Businesses, for Allstate. "This is just another option individuals can use to protect what matters most."

A consumer in need of roadside assistance can call 1-800-ALLSTATE anytime and receive access to Allstate's 24/7, nationwide towing network. Consumers will pay a flat rate of $75 for a tow up to 10 miles and $50 for other roadside events such as service for a flat tire, a dead battery or keys locked inside a car. Allstate suggests taking two minutes to pre-register before road "Mayhem" strikes at www.goodhandsroadside.com to improve response time.

With towing scams on the rise, a reliable towing network has never been more important. According to Allstate and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, reported claims of inflated towing or storage bills increased 103 percent during the first nine months of 2010, when compared to the same period last year.

To help kick off Good Hands Roadside, Allstate has planned a number of activities, including:

Rivalry Road Trip sponsored by Good Hands Roadside Assistance – nationally recognized college football blogger Spencer Hall from Every Day Should Be Saturday (www.edsbs.com ) is hitting the road starting with College Football Rivalry Week and visiting some of the biggest games of the season, kicking off with Ohio State at Iowa on Nov. 20 and culminating with the Tostitos BCS National Championship in Glendale, Ariz. on Jan. 10, 2011. Hall will blog and tweet about his road trip adventures and organize game day meet-ups with fans where he will give away game tickets and help register them for Good Hands Roadside.

Good Hands Roadside Mobile App – the application allows smart phone users to select the type of roadside service needed, and the app does the rest - tapping the phone's GPS capabilities to expedite trusted roadside help straight to the user's location. The iPhone version of the mobile app is available immediately. Android and Blackberry versions will be available in December. To download the Good Hands Roadside app or any of the other protection oriented mobile apps Allstate offers, visit http://www.allstate.com/mobile/main.aspx

Roadside Kick It For Tickets Sweepstakes – going live on Friday, November 19th and hosted by the Allstate Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Allstate), this virtual kicking game allows users to play for a chance to win a trip to the 2012 Allstate® BCS National Championship in New Orleans. All players are required to connect with Allstate on Facebook and register for GHR before they can play.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.

For more information, visit www.allstatenewsroom.com or www.twitter.com/allstatenews .

SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company