On the first day of June 1906, i.e. five years after the first car from Vienna came to Zagreb, 14 enthusiasts and lovers of driving held the founding meeting of the First Croatian Automobile Club. It was held at the Royal Hotel in Zagreb’s Ilica, which laid the foundations of the Croatian Auto Club (HAK). The founding of the First Croatian Automobile Club, i.e. the beginning of June, is thus celebrated as a kind of birthday of HAK.
Accordingly, this year, HAK celebrates 120 years of continuous activity, making it one of the oldest and longest-standing civil society organizations in Croatia. Today, the association gathers more than 235,000 members and provides daily information, help and support to drivers throughout Croatia.
During its 120 years of existence, the Croatian Auto Club has continuously developed along with traffic, technology and the needs of citizens. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to the safety of all road users and to providing reliable information and assistance on the road. We are proud of the trust we enjoy among members and citizens and the contribution we have made to the safety of Croatian roads for decades,’ said the president of the Croatian Auto Club, Ivo Bikić.
By the way, the Croatian Auto Club as an association consists of members and associated auto clubs. Also, at the national level, the Croatian Auto Club is a partner of state bodies in the implementation of public authority tasks and an important professional support in the field of road traffic safety. The Croatian Auto Club has been internationally recognized since 1992, as a member of the World Automobile Association FIA and other international bodies in which it has a notable role, and in which it represents Croatia representing the interests of our drivers.
For many years, HAK has been synonymous with roadside assistance. Namely, organized roadside assistance in Croatia began in August 1963, when the Croatian Automobile Association put the first six ‘yellow Fics’ into circulation. That move marked the beginning of the modern roadside assistance system. The unique area code 987 was introduced in 1970, and today the number is used in 1987. Every year, HAK provides tens of thousands of on-site breakdown and vehicle transportation services to domestic and foreign drivers. A little later, in 1979, the Information Center was established, which started the systematic informing of the public about the state of the roads.
Today is the number 1987 a single point of contact for all users, regardless of whether they use a voice call or a text message. Namely, last year the SMS service was introduced to the emergency number 1987, which is especially important for deaf people and people with hearing impairment who find themselves in a traffic accident, breakdown or other situation on the road that requires quick intervention. Hearing impaired users can now send an SMS message to the number 1987, in which they will describe their location, state the vehicle’s registration number and the type of problem. The operators of the HAK Contact Center will process the request without delay and ensure the provision of technical assistance on the road.
The celebration of the 120th anniversary will continue throughout the year through a series of projects, events and activities with which the Croatian Auto Club will further emphasize its role in promoting road traffic safety, educating citizens and providing assistance to drivers on Croatian roads.