Tow truck professionals spend their days and nights assisting drivers experiencing car trouble or emergencies while driving on the highway. Sometimes these emergencies require a simple like a battery jump or unlocking a car door locked with the keys inside. Sometimes the vehicle is in a safe location such as the owner’s driveway or a parking lot. However, most of the time the calls for help come from people stranded beside a busy highway because of bad weather, a mechanical failure, and flat tire or an accident which range from minor to catastrophic.
So today, with safety in mind, and let’s talk about ways drivers can be prepared and safe should an unexpected vehicle breakdown on the open occur.
Using Common Sense
Before anything else we wanted to first mention the basic, common-sense habits you can do to avoid a service call or accident.
First, it is immensely important to keep one’s vehicle in top working order; doing so makes ensures that the car is as safe as possible and goes a long way to preventing the need for our roadside services. Second, drivers should make every effort not to drive if they are under the influence of alcohol, illegal or prescription drugs, are not feeling well, or have gone too long without sleep. Also, drivers should not try to drive unnecessarily in bad weather which increases hazards along the road.
Be Prepared
In addition to making sure your vehicle is always in top running condition, it is helpful to keep a few items in your car to be used in emergency situations.
Many people, particularly those who live in areas where extreme weather is a worry, prepare a car survival box/bag to be kept in the trunk or other secure area in the car. This should include a bit of up-to-date preserved or non-perishable food, a couple blankets, a first aid kit, a pair of jumper cables or a purchased battery jump device, gloves and other winter gear, a working prepaid cell phone, a small hand-crank radio,a battery powered emergency flasher with fresh batteries or a safety triangle, and a white bed sheet (old is fine).
If your car breaks down and you can’t reach roadside assistance, your survival pack could save your life and that of your passengers.
Waiting on a Tow Truck? Use Our Safety Protocol
One of the most frightening things the professionals at Top Dogz Towing find is that while drivers are stranded and waiting for roadside assistance, many are extremely careless with their own safety and the safety of their passengers. The following list of tips and suggestions will help keep you safe when you are stranded along the road, waiting for roadside assistance.
- Put your hazards on as soon as possible after you know you have a problem, and leave them on.
- When you pull over, pull well into the shoulder of the road, but make certain not to pull over too far, especially if there is a ditch or a steep embankment along the edge of the road. Professionals at Top Dogz Towing have had to tow out cars that wouldn’t have needed towing had the driver not pulled into the hazard area. Use some common sense.
- Stay in your car. If you must get out of the car, get out on the passenger side. Opening the driver door into traffic and/or stepping out of the car from the driver door is dangerous even under the best of circumstances. Do not allow passengers to get out of the car. If you need to work on the car, use the safety equipment you have stored in your emergency kit.
- If you must leave your vehicle for any reason, put the white sheet in the driver’s side window to alert police, tow truck drivers, or other emergency personnel that the vehicle is stranded.
Top Dogz Towing professionals see and experience many unfortunate situations while on the job. We want you to be safe and secure every time you call us for roadside assistance. Be safe!
Need a Tow Truck Charlotte NC?
Top Dogz Towing in Charlotte NC offers comprehensive, professional roadside assistance services available 24 hours a day – every day. And because we’re centrally located in Charlotte, we can guarantee our arrival at your location within 30 minutes of your call or sooner.
Whether you’re in need of a reliable roadside towing service, jump-start assistance, lockout services, or you’ve been involved in an accident, you will always receive best-in-class service from Top Dogz Towing include flat bed towing, dolly towing and winch service based on you individual need.
Simply give us a call at 704-774-8669 and one of our knowledgeable towing service reps will be ready to assist you.
