On motorways and express roads equipped with an emergency call device, the fixed price for repairs by a mechanic increased by almost 3% on December 1, 2024, a rate higher than that forecast for inflation.
Bad news for motorists… Troubleshooting and towing on motorways as well as express roads are now charged €144.52. Prices which increase by 2.87%, in one year. And this, while on average, over the entire year 2024, inflation should be around 2.2% according to the Bank of France.
Because a technical incident can occur at any time, here are the right reflexes to adopt to be repaired as quickly and in the best conditions.
On motorways and express roads equipped with an emergency call device, the fixed price for repairs by a mechanic increased by 2.87%. For vehicles with a total weight greater than 1.8 tonnes and less than 3.5 tonnes, repair costs €178.70.
If the call is made in the evening or at night (between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.) or on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, these rates are doubled to:
- €216.78 for light vehicles (compared to €216.78 previously);
- 268.05 for vehicles between 1.8 and 3.5 tonnes.
The prices cover, in addition to the movement of the intervention vehicle, either the repair on site or the towing of the immobilized vehicle to the garage or, at the request of the motorist, to a place located less than 5 km from the exit of the highway or expressway.
| Days | Prices for on-site repairs: vehicle weighing less than 3.5 tonnes | Prices for breakdown assistance with towing: vehicle weighing less than 1.8 t | Prices for breakdown assistance with towing: vehicle from 1.8 to 3.5 t |
| Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 144,52 € | 144,52 € | 178,70 € |
| Monday to Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays | 216,78 € | 216,78 € | 268,05 € |
3 reflexes to adopt in the event of a breakdown on the highway
In the event of a breakdown, you must park on the emergency lane, as far to the right as possible, and signal your presence by turning on the hazard lights.
Get safe
Before exiting the vehicle, the motorist must put on their yellow safety vest and have all passengers exit through the right-hand doors of the vehicle. Once outside the car, it is imperative to position your warning triangle and position yourself behind the guardrail.
Use the emergency stop terminal
To reach emergency services, you must only call the emergency call terminals to be geolocated quickly. Only approved breakdown assistance companies are authorized to intervene on expressways and motorways. The operator can ask the motorist for their position, the direction of traffic, the make of their car or even its registration. The repairer must arrive on the scene within thirty minutes of the call to the emergency terminal. If the breakdown is minor, the breakdown repairer will take care of moving the vehicle and repairing it on site.
If an on-site repair is impossible, the vehicle must be evacuated to the nearest parking area, or repairer's workshop or to the location desired by the user.
To allow motorists to quickly contact tow trucks, the companies APRR and AERA have launched “SOS Autoroutes”, a free application downloadable to smartphones. The same goes for Vinci Autoroutes with Ulys (available on App Store and Google Play). Only approved repairers are authorized to intervene.
Avoid additional costs
For additional services (towing beyond 5 km after the motorway exit closest to the scene of the breakdown, replacement of parts, etc.), the prices are free, but the breakdown service provider is required to display them clearly. visible and readable in their intervention vehicle. He must also provide an invoice detailing the operations carried out. Failing this, you must contact the Departmental Directorate for Social Cohesion and Population Protection where the mechanic who carried out the towing is located.
It is also possible to write to the national motorway inspection unit – National Investigation Service – (59, boulevard Vincent Auriol -Télédoc 032 – 75703 PARIS cedex 13, Email: [email protected]).
Once the car is off the highway, the repaired motorist has the right to have his vehicle repaired by the professional of his choice. If assistance is offered in his car insurance contract, he must notify it as soon as possible and possibly have the bill for the intervention reimbursed.
