Houston Roadside Assistance Programs

If you have an accident or breakdown on a highway in the greater Houston area, you have many options for help. Here is a list of entities that may assist you if you have an accident or your vehicle breaks down.

Houston roadside assistance program

HCTRA- Harris County Toll Road Authority (Help on Toll Roads)

Harris County Toll Road Authority provides roadside assistance to promote driver safety. The mission of the incident management program is to respond to stranded motorists and accidents while using Harris County-operated toll roads.

HCTRA’s primary role is to clear incidents on the toll road as safely and quickly as possible to prevent other accidents.

As part of its efforts to reduce incidents on the roadway, the Incident Response Team provides roadside assistance to the public free of charge. Available roadside assistance includes providing one gallon of gasoline to vehicles out of fuel, changing flat tires, giving the vehicle battery a jump start, water for an overheated vehicle, or basic mechanical repairs. If a vehicle needs towing, do not worry; one of the 15 Incident Response Team’s wreckers will tow the vehicle off the tollway to the closest and safest location, all free of charge. Dedicated assistance reduces the risk of deaths and injuries to stranded motorists and improves mobility.

How to Contact HCTRA Incident Management?

The Incident Management Dispatch Center is operational 24/7, making assistance only minutes away when you call 281-584-7500. The toll road dispatchers will immediately dispatch an Incident Response Unit or a law enforcement deputy to your location.

Houston’s TOW AND GO (SafeClear)

Tow and go can help tow a stalled vehicle or change a flat.

This program offers assistance as follows:

Vehicles stalled on a Houston freeway will be towed to a nearby safe location at no cost to the motorist.
If you have a spare tire and a jack, a record driver will change a flat tire for free.
You can choose to have your vehicle towed to a specific location, but you must pay a fee for such service. The fees are listed on this website.

How to Contact TOW AND GO?

Call (713) 881-3333 for help.

Texas Department of Public Safety

Texas DPS maintains A motorist helpline to report if your vehicle becomes disabled or you are stranded on the side of the road. Their toll-free number also provides travel information and highway conditions.

How to Contact Motorists Helpline?

Call 1(800) 525-5555 to report being stranded or a disabled vehicle or to report a drunk driver.

Safety Recommendations

According to a director at Transtar, one common area of concern is people outside of their stalled vehicle getting killed when another vehicle hits theirs and pushes it into them. Up to about 75% of fatalities involving disabled vehicles happen when the driver is standing outside of their vehicle.

Here are some safety recommendations from Transtar.