How can a towing service be of help to me?
Towing services are able to provide valuable assistance when your vehicle needs to be moved from one place to another and this cannot be done through normal driving practices. If your vehicle has broken down, been involved in an accident or landed up in a ditch or an area which makes it impossible to drive the vehicle away, a towing service will assist in moving the vehicle for you. In the case of a vehicle collision, especially on a busy road, the towing service will assist in possibly re-directing traffic until the police arrive or the area is cleared, or providing basic assistance to injured parties.
What situations call for a towing service?
Towing services specialize in moving vehicles which cannot be driven normally for any reason. These reasons include factors such as :
- a vehicular collision in which the vehicle is too damaged to drive (broken chassis or axle, blown tyres and rims, engine severely impacted and not working, shattered windscreen, front driver seat back twisted or broken, radiator leaking or steaming, oil leaking from engine, etc.);
- vehicle driven off the road by accident into, for example, a ditch, up a steep incline, across a barrier structure, into the side of a wall or building, become stuck in deep mud or sand, etc.;
- engine failure such as engine overheating, loss of oil pressure, leaking and dry radiator, broken fanbelt, stripped gears, brake failure, or other engine malfunction;
- a flat or severely damaged tyre when you do not have an operational spare. Rather than being stuck in the middle of traffic or on the side of the road for hours, a tow truck will relocate your car to the nearest tyre centre so that you are up and running again as soon as possible.
What should you remember when making use of any towing service?
- Only use the services of a SATRA (South African Towing & Recovery Association) or UTASA (United Towing Association of South Africa) towing service, as these services are bound by a contractually enforceable code of conduct which protects the user from being charged above market-related rates. Be aware that it is your right to refuse to use any non-accredited towing service, and that no towing service has the right to remove or tow any vehicle without the consent of the owner, driver, operator of the vehicle, or without the consent of any person who has a legal right to take possession of the vehicle;
- Agree on the towing charges before the vehicle is moved to avoid any unplanned additional expenses;
- Obtain as much information as possible about the towing services company before anything is done, such as the name, physical address and landline number of the company, name of the driver and registration number of the tow truck;
- Remove all items of value from the vehicle before it is towed;
- If insured, make sure that the towing service used is approved by your insurer and that the vehicle will be taken to a garage or repair centre approved by the insurer;
- In cases where your vehicle has been involved in a collision requiring towing services and you have a roadside assistance plan in place, remember that your insurer will probably be liable for the cost of the tow to an approved garage or repair centre;
- After an accident, do not sign any documentation which you have not read through first. If you do have to sign something, make sure that it is only authorization to tow the vehicle.
How to find the right towing service for your needs
Check their online ratings and customer reviews
Towing services are often affiliated with insurance companies, most of whom have their preferred suppliers, and if you are well organised, you will carry the names of these towing companies in your vehicle at all times, so they will be easy to locate. If you are looking for a tow resulting from an issue which is not insurance-related, such as an engine malfunction (particularly on older cars), driving the car into soft sand or a ditch or similar situation due to careless driving, flat battery, etc., you will need to find a towing service yourself. The Yellow Pages (both physical and online) is always a great resource. You will probably be looking for a service when you are away from your home or office and may even be sitting in your vehicle at the side of the road.
This is where a search site such as Uptasker is such a convenient and valuable aid as it lists suppliers per geographical area, allowing you to find a towing service closest to your vehicle. Being able to see their online ratings and customer reviews on this site at a glance is both comforting and useful, giving you an idea of the type of service and satisfaction provided by the listed suppliers. If the matter is not urgent, you can also check for advertisements in motoring magazines, flyers, newspapers, and ask local repair centres who they recommend.
