75 years roadside assistance

28 June - 6 September 2021

In 2021, the ANWB Roadside Assistance celebrated its 75th anniversary. To mark this jubilee, the Louwman Museum in The Hague opened its doors for the exhibition '75 years of Roadside Assistance'. The exhibition took visitors on a journey through time using iconic roadside assistance vehicles and also offered a glimpse of the future.

How it started

Shortly after the Second World War, the ANWB came up with the idea of getting broken down cars back on the road, following the example of the English sister club Automobile Association (AA). On 15 April 1946, the first roadside assistance brigade of the Wegenwacht in the Netherlands started operating with seven Harley Davidson Liberator motorcycles, taken over from the Canadian army. They were painted yellow and fitted with a sidecar containing a toolbox. A few years later, in 1950, the Wegenwacht was active in every province. By then, nearly 100 sidecar combinations were driving all over the country. After that, things moved quickly. Mass motorization had begun. Wegenwacht stations were opened along the national highways. And not long after, emergency call boxes were installed throughout the country. In 2021, around 900 roadside patrols were driving across the Netherlands, helping more than 1 million stranded motorists get back on their way each year.

The future

The Roadside Assistance service constantly responds to new developments. In 2021, topics such as electric driving, shared mobility concepts and the use of data played an increasingly important role. By anticipating and responding to the latest developments, the Roadside Assistance service can continue to offer its members the best possible breakdown assistance.