Waiting For A Tow? Keep Yourself Safe With These 5 Tips

It can be extremely dangerous and frightening waiting on a tow when you've broken down on the side of the road. There are a lot of unknowns in the world, and you may encounter some of them on the roadside. To ensure you are safe while waiting for a tow, here are five things you need to know:

1. Your Location Matters.

You are at a great risk waiting on the side of the road for a towing and recovery company truck to arrive. So, you need to minimize that risk. To do this, you'll want to make sure you are on the right side of the road and as far off of the road as you can get. In addition, get as far away from busy intersections as you can. If possible, park beside something that is easy-to-identify, as this will make it easier for the tow truck service to locate you. In the event that you don't have much say so over where you are parked, follow the rest of these tips to stay safe.

2. Make Yourself Visible.

While you would hope that other drivers would notice that you are broken down, this may not be always the case. It may be too late before they see you. Luckily, you can increase the chances of them seeing you early on by using orange warning triangles that can be set out behind and beside your vehicle. Don't forget to also turn on your hazard lights.

3. Keep Lines of Communication Open.

Yes, you're broken down and you're probably bored. So, you will probably want to phone your best friend, your mother or a colleague. However, it is important that you keep the phone line open and the battery charged in the even that you need to phone emergency services or the tow truck driver calls you. This doesn't mean that you can't call someone and inform them of what's going on and your whereabouts. Just keep your conversation to a minimum.

4. Be Wary of Strangers Offering Assistance.

While it can be very generous of strangers to offer help, this assistance, if accepted, can put you at great risk. Sadly, there are people out there that are more than willing to take advantage of someone in a troubling situation, such as being broken down on the size of a road. It is impossible to know whether the stranger has good intentions, so it is usually best to simply politely deny their help.

5. Request Identification from the Towing Service.

Once the tow truck driver arrives, you still want to be a little wary. So, make sure you ask them for their identification. You want to verify that they are indeed who they say that they are. Just like there are people out there who will pose as police officers, there are individuals who will pose as a towing service.   


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