Helping motorists for 100 years

Since NRMA’s roadside guides first began patrolling Sydney’s streets on the 16th of February 1924 on a Douglas motorcycle, NRMA roadside has grown from an initial team of three to more than 400 patrols across NSW and the ACT metropolitan areas alone.

Battery issues have declined over the last decade, yet they continue to be the most frequent reason motorists call NRMA roadside with patrols responding to more than 402,000 call outs due to battery issues in 2023. This was followed by more than 135,000 callouts for wheel and tyre damage, and close to 90,000 callouts for electrical issues.

NRMA Roadside Patrol, Philip Wilson, followed in his patrol father’s footsteps and has been helping broken down Australians for more than 40 years. Mr Wilson said in the last decade alone Patrols had seen shifts in motoring and roadside breakdowns as they responded to more than 11 million calls for help from motorists.

“Growing up with an NRMA van in the back yard, I loved hearing about the people dad met and helped on the roadside,” Mr Wilson said.

“While vehicles have changed drastically in the last century, I believe it is our patrols good humour and passion for going above and beyond to help motorists that is an ongoing legacy.”

"Some of the issues we’re seeing less of compared to ten years ago are accidental lockouts, problems with cooling systems, and ignition issues. Especially in the last four years there has been a rise in callouts to help drivers of hybrid and electric vehicles as more drivers make the transition away from petrol and diesel powered cars.” 

The NRMA has advocated for and seen significant improvements to roads since first forming in the 1920’s when most roads were unsealed and littered with potholes, with advocacy today continuing in spaces like prevention of drink driving, to keep all drivers safe on the roads.

Carolyn Darke, CEO of Roadside at the NRMA said “We are proud to have been by Australians side for 100 years and we look forward to continuing to help motorists get back on the road safely for the next century and beyond.”

“We’re excited with the transformation in the industry with the take up of electric vehicles (EVs) and will continue to be at the forefront of innovation to keep motorists moving now and into the future. We have invested in new solutions to help EV drivers with mobile chargers and unique towing devices, as well as continuing to grow our network to support all drivers on our roads.”

“In addition to offering roadside assistance to electric vehicle owners, the NRMA has also built one of Australia’s largest electric vehicle charging networks to keep EV drivers moving.”

While the NRMA helps motorists across NSW and the ACT, the ten Local Government Area's NRMA has responded to the most callouts in 2023 are: