If you're caught driving during an icy storm and slide off the road and into a snowbank, it's likely that you'll need help. While you might be getting ready to call a local towing service, you may be tempted to accept help from a kind-hearted motorist who stops and offers to tow you out of the snow. Someone with a truck or four-wheel-drive vehicle can easily pull a vehicle out of a snowbank and onto the road, but you should think twice about accepting this help — even if you like the idea of getting help for free instead of having to pay for a tow. Here are some reasons that you shouldn't accept a tow from a passing motorist.
There Could Be An Accident
A motorist who stops to help you will often have to position his or her vehicle within the road while towing your vehicle. Depending on the angle that you went into the snowbank, the motorist's vehicle may need to be perpendicular to the road. This can be highly dangerous, especially in poor weather conditions. Approaching motorists may not be able to see the person helping you until the last minute, and there could easily be a collision. Conversely, a towing service driver will take several steps to let other motorists know of his or her presence. This includes using the light bar atop the vehicle, while also laying flares on the road around the scene.
The Motorist Could Damage Your Car
Even if a passing motorist who wants to help has the best of intentions, you might not want an amateur hooking up a chain or a tow rope to your vehicle. If this is done in the wrong way, it could easily result in damage. Then, you'll face the challenging position of being appreciative that someone stopped to help you but also feeling as though this person owes you for the damage to your vehicle. Not only are professional towing services insured, but the experience of the driver means that your vehicle is unlikely to be damaged.
Your Vehicle Could Need Transporting
In some cases, your vehicle will be completely operational after it's been in a snowbank. In more severe instances, there may be damage that needs to be corrected before the vehicle is driven. In such a case, you'll still need to call a towing service, even if a passing motorist pulls you back onto the road — it's unsafe for the vehicle to attempt to tow you to a nearby automotive garage. You're better off calling a towing service right away and letting a professional help you.
To stay on the safe side, contact a business such as Jim's Tow Service.
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