There’s a toll-free number on the back of my driver’s license labeled “Roadside Assistance”. I’d never noticed it before today, when a co-worker was telling me how she used the number to get her tire changed on the dangerously-busy Tollway.

“For free?” I asked. “Of course,” she said.

So I started to wonder if I’d been paying AAA for services that I could be getting for free. I did some Googling and found this:

The toll-free line has been operated by DPS since 1989 for motorists to use when reporting non-life-threatening situations … If a tow truck is ultimately dispatched, the motorist is responsible for any costs incurred. Some cities and agencies do have courtesy patrols and roadside trucks to provide non-towing services and they may be dispatched by the local agencies when appropriate.

Examples of when a motorist should call the Roadside Assistance Hotline include: stranded with car problems, hazardous road conditions, debris in the roadway, suspicious activity at a rest area, and obviously intoxicated or dangerous drivers.

So, to summarize: we want you to call us if you’re having trouble or see something dangerous. We might send help, and it might be free.

My state isn’t the only one with a free (?) State-run roadside assistance program. If part of the recession means not renewing whatever service you use for emergency roadside assistance, check online to see what’s available for free.

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