CAA renews the call for provincial regulation of the towing industry

[TowZone]

THORNHILL, ON, Sept. 18, 2019 /CNW/ - This week marks the fourth annual Tow Safety Week, and CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is calling on the Ontario government to prioritize the regulation of the towing industry. 

 

"Long wait times, unscrupulous tow truck drivers and sky-high towing bills will continue to be an issue for motorists unless the Ontario government makes provincial towing regulation a priority," said Teresa Di Felice, AVP, government and community relations at CAA SCO.  "Doing so would ensure Ontario motorists have certainty when it comes to towing services, regardless of when or where they require support. It will also help to earn respect for the many men and women who work hard to provide an important service on our roads."

 

Di Felice points to the recent discussions around highway incident management and the long traffic delays caused by collisions as another reason for regulation. 

 

"Calling for a tow truck on the side of the highway can be a stressful experience for motorists, provincial towing regulation will make certain that the standards of training, service and equipment in the towing industry are kept high," added Di Felice. 

 

To help consumers, CAA launched the Towing Bill of Rights (TBR), a glove box reference card, to help avoid any confusion when it comes to the rights of motorists when calling for a tow truck.  Since its launch in 2018, CAA has distributed over 22,000 cards. The TBR continues to be one of CAA's most sought after educational items. A digital version of the CAA Towing Bill of Rights is available for download or printing at www.towrights.ca or at CAA stores.

 

CAA and the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario developed Tow Safety Week to raise awareness among consumers, the industry and government officials on towing issues in the province. The awareness week concludes at the provincial Tow Show, where a panel of experts will be discussing some of the issues affecting the industry.

 

About CAA South Central Ontario
As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of over 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

 

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[rreschran]

 

I just posted this response to the TowForce topic minutes ago on the same problem in the USA. If you review it ... you'll see the same problem exists in Canada. I'll change my response to those in Canada who are interested in this. Perhaps CAA and the Canada's Tow Association should be putting some collective pressure on LE with the aid of the media to formalize a list of approved towers. If OPP doesn't respond to your liking,  then there should be forward action on the association's part to demand a better answer. Some cities and states' across the US have vehicle code laws against scanning and cruising for hire. In California, Section 22513 a and b is specific to tow trucks on-scene. Example, California Vehicle Code:

22513.  (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) or (c), the owner or operator of a tow truck who complies with the requirements of this
code relating to tow trucks may stop or park the tow truck upon a highway for the purpose of rendering assistance to a disabled
vehicle.

   (b) It is a misdemeanor for the owner or operator of a tow truck to stop at the scene of an accident or near a disabled vehicle for
the purpose of soliciting an engagement for towing services, either directly or indirectly, or to furnish any towing services, unless
summoned to the scene, requested to stop, or flagged down by the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle or requested to perform the
service by a law enforcement officer or public agency pursuant to that agency's procedures.

At some point, public sentiment should be the primary driving factor in helping to make these kinds of illegal practices just that ... illegal. And, if I'm a fully legit tow company, I'd want to see an end to rogue practices. This kind of tow scenario has been going on for as long as I can remember, but until action is taken, nothing will change. Note: Section B is a, "misdemeanor", meaning, the violating tow operator can be arrested, taken to jail and the tow truck impounded for evidence. So .. if court doesn't go to trial for two months and a tow truck is evidence of that case, what's to say that the tow truck stays in impound until it goes to court? Accordingly, how much will an attorney cost to fight this kind of arrest? Read California's section carefully as it's worded specifically toward towers not working in the up and up. I'm sure that if more cops were to be involved and monitor those arriving tow trucks .. the tow truck was either called, requested or dispatched (?) those are questions cops need to ask before the tow truck departs. If a local tower goes to jail ... you can bet that WORD will travel fast.    R.