This weekend, my usual 60 minute drive took me about two hours. There was a left lane four-car pile up, and then a breakdown lane hazard. These obstacles added quite a bit of drive time to my trip!

Four lanes travelling at 15 mph and still, cars were hitting each other!!

As my car crawled along I kept thinking, I really hope I don’t get hit. There was the car behind me that kept trying to touch my bumper, and the car beside me that liked my lane while they were on their phone.

As the giant tow trucks rolled into place for the less fortunate, I was reminded of the  Accidental Tow Info  I had just read, so today I will share this info with fellow car owners:

 

If after an accident or breakdown your vehicle cannot be driven, you will be anxious to have a towing company move your vehicle to a repair facility or other location. In these stressful situations, you may inadvertently give permission to a towing company (to move your vehicle) whose fees are far beyond your policy coverages.

 

The  National Insurance Crime Bureau  suggests the following to help prevent you from becoming involved with tow operators (many of whom appear at traffic accidents before their services are requested) that charge excessive fees:

 

• Never give permission to a tow truck operator who arrives unsolicited to take your vehicle
• If you or law enforcement did not call a tow truck to the scene, do not deal with that operator
• Do not provide tow truck operators with your insurance information
• Do not provide tow truck operators with personal lien holder information
• Determine that the tow truck signage is identical to what appears on any documentation the tow truck operator provides (they may say they “work with” your insurance company)
• If the tow truck does not display signage identifying the name of the tow company, ask for company identification
• Do not give a tow truck operator permission to tow your vehicle until they:

  1. Provide a printed price list, to include daily storage fees and miscellaneous charges that will apply if they tow your car (If the price(s) seem too high, ask or call the police or your insurance company to call a towing service for you)
  2. Provide printed documentation indicating where the vehicle is being towed if it is not a location of your choosing

Wishing you SAFE DRIVING out there — but just in case you do get towed, this info may help!!