AAA was formed as the American Automobile Association in March 1902. The organization was created by the merging of smaller auto clubs to create a national presence. The need for AAA was because of the lack of navigable highways and roads throughout the United States.
AAA is an organization that functions as a resource for an individual's car, travel and home needs. AAA membership allows people to get discounted rates on car repairs, hotel stays, and various forms of auto and home insurance.
AAA is composed of 50 million members who belong to more than 65 individual auto clubs. Some of the larger clubs are AAA Mid-Atlantic, the California State Automobile Association and the Chicago Motor Club.
According to the AAA website, the following international organizations have an affiliation with the club: the CAA in Canada and ARC Europe, which covers most of Europe.
Membership benefits for AAA members are quite extensive. Primarily, AAA is used for vehicle services that include emergency roadside assistance, insurance, auto loans, and recommendations for auto dealers and repair centers. AAA is also known for travel benefits that include vacation packages, tour books, maps, travel insurance and recommendations for hotels, motels and cruise lines. AAA membership is also used as a discount card at many businesses throughout the nation.
