Much has been written in recent months about the unscrupulous behavior of some tow truck operators. It is important to remember that a motorist is not at the mercy of these operators but has a say in the towing away of his vehicle. Few motorists might however be aware of Section 61(3) of the Road Traffic Act which stipulates that ‘…no person shall remove a vehicle involved in an accident, except for the purpose of sufficiently allowing the passage of traffic, without the permission of the owner, driver or operator of such vehicle or a person who may lawfully take possession of such vehicle.’
The South African Towing and Recovery Association (SATRA) has identified the need for the industry to be regulated. Anybody can buy a one-ton truck and turn it into a tow truck and start operating – and such an operator might pose a significant financial risk to the uninformed motorist.
The Arrive Alive website has addressed the need for more information with a section titled “Recovery of Vehicle after Accident / Dealing with Tow Truck Operators†and also a shortened version on the mobile road safety website at arrivealive.mobi
[The image is that of the VW Touareg V10 TDI towing a 155-ton Boeing 747 down an auxiliary runway at Dunsfold airport, 60km south-west of London at the end of 2006]