You have had your regular car check-up at the service, filled up the fuel tank, checked the oil level and tire pressure and are all set to go. However, a friend of yours or some person you don’t even know is asking you to help and tow their broken car to the nearest service or to the first highway turnoff. Before you agree to tow another vehicle, make sure you know all the articles from the Law on Road Traffic Safety that apply to towing, and be sure that both you and your care are ready for such a commitment. In this text we will not list the articles and paragraphs from the Law, but rather give you some useful pieces of advice on how to do the towing as safe as possible.
1. Not everyone can tow
Towing requires a special driving technique that employs synchronized actions that need to be done by both drivers. For that reason, both drivers need to be highly skilled and able to communicate almost without any words.
2. Check the maximum towing weight of your car
There is a certain maximum weight that your car can handle, which you can check in the user manual provided by the manufacturer. According to the Low on Road Traffic Safety a motor vehicle must not tow a vehicle that will compromise its stability.
3. Check the braking system
Before you hitch another vehicle to your car, be sure that your braking system works flawlessly. Beside minding the speed that must not exceed 40 km/h avoid breaking suddenly. It is more important to reach your destination safely than reach it fast, especially in uncommon conditions such as towing.
4. Technical safety of the vehicle that is being towed
The vehicle that is being towed must be technically safe. The signal lights (turn signals and parking lights) and the breaks must be working by all means. Otherwise, the vehicle jeopardizes traffic safety. You must not tow a car if only its handbrake is working because it will not slow down in timely manner.
5. If you are not sure, leave it to the towing service
Unless you know all the regulations and you are not sure about the things mentioned in this text, it is better to leave towing to professional towing services than jeopardize your own safety, the safety of the person whom you wanted to help and the safety of all the participants around you.
We hope that you found these pieces of advice useful. If you have any questions, doubts or suggestions for topics you are interested in, feel free to contact us.