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A number of people will agree that having 24/7 access to roadside assistance is of great convenience. However, membership manager at the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) Coswayne Samms believes that this service is particularly advantageous to seniors."With age comes less agility and strength and a senior person may find it more difficult to do certain tasks, such as jacking up a vehicle by himself or herself; removing a spare tyre from the trunk and just the whole process of changing a tyre might be a little tedious for them," he explained.The JAA, which is a member of The Jamaica National Group, offers 24-hour emergency roadside assistance across Jamaica and provides different membership packages to customers based on their needs and affordability."In terms of basic roadside assistance, we provide tyre changes, jump-starts and minor repairs. We also provide discounted towing services from a third-party service provider, and we will secure an ambulance if needed. It makes the entire process easier and less frustrating for our seniors who are one of the more vulnerable groups in society," Samms pointed out.He added that another benefit of roadside assistance to seniors is that the technicians are knowledgeable on a wide range of vehicles and so are able to answer whatever questions the customer may have while on the scene."Our roadside assistance service also eliminates the possibility of the senior being overcharged by a mechanic as there is no additional charge for the basic services rendered and we will even go as far as recommending a reputable mechanic, if necessary," Samms said.He said the JAA also provides a level of safety to seniors who may be having vehicle troubles in an unfamiliar place, or somewhere where they feel unsafe, as the technician may be accompanied by armed security, if requested."If the member is not experiencing vehicle difficulties but has become lost, they can call us to get directions and this provides even more peace of mind to a senior person who may not be as alert as a younger person," Samms declared.He said that if it the vehicle runs out of fuel, the JAA team will also provide enough fuel for the member to get to the nearest gas station, at no additional cost to them.Samms revealed that the basic JAA membership package also comes with a vehicle document eExpiry reminder, discounts from select local and international stores and 10 per cent discount on JAA driving academy and transportation services."During this pandemic, our frontline workers have been working extremely hard especially in the healthcare system. As a result, we are offering one group of our healthcare workers, our nurses, discounted JAA membership for only $2,000 for the year," he disclosed.Persons may sign-up and pay for JAA membership on their website at www.calljaa.com, they may also sign-up in office at 7 Central Avenue, 5 Swallowfield Road in Kingston, do a bank transfer, or make payment at a JN Bank location.Samms is encouraging all senior drivers especially, to ensure they have someone reliable that they can call in the event that they experience car troubles.