Chapter 3: Property and Casualty Insurance on Land, Sea, and Air

History of Insurance

AAA

AAA, which once stood for the American Automobile Association, has been around for over 100 years. If you were ever a school safety patrol, thank AAA. It created the program in the 1920s. Today, AAA provides roadside assistance to members, discounts on several types of insurance, traveler assistance, and other benefits.

Not long after the first cars hit the market, automobile clubs began to form. Nine of these early clubs joined together in 1902 to form the American Automobile Association, known today as AAA, or "triple A." Its focus ever since has been on safe and efficient transportation.

Early on, AAA successfully lobbied Congress to fund updates to the nation's horse-and-buggy roads. At the time, roads were unsafe for automobile traffic. AAA's efforts also led to the establishment of what today is the US Department of Transportation.

AAA also focused on pedestrian safety from its early years. In 1917, it issued a resolution advocating for pedestrians to cross streets only in designated areas. Soon after, AAA launched the School Safety Patrol Program. Today, the program has more than 500,000 safety patrol members across 50,000 schools.

AAA now has 50 million members in the US and Canada. It offers driver training and improvement programs, travel maps, discounts, emergency road service, and more to its members.