When your car stops running, the first thing that comes to mind is to call your local towing company to help you take it to the nearest mechanic. Although this appears to be the most practical and least expensive solution, there are voices that claim it to be actually daunting to your vehicle. As not everybody can afford to hire a platform, let’s see whether towing your car is really that bad.
First of all, you have to know that you should always hire professionals to tow your vehicle. They always use the right method to do it, so they can avoid most of the problems that may occur. When a professional towing service does it, towing isn’t bad. It won’t affect your car in any way, so you can rest assured no additional damage is going to be caused.
On the other hand, improper towing procedures can affect the engine and the transmission systems of your car. For instance, a car that’s not in neutral while being towed is going to be severely damaged. The role of the transmission in gear or in park is to prevent your vehicle from rolling. However, towing implies that your car needs to be free to roll, so make sure you put it in neutral before it starts moving.
Attaching the towing mechanism to the vehicle should be done correctly. If you attach it to a plastic bumper, for instance, you won’t get too far without damaging your car. The bumper can’t withstand the force required to tow the car, so it is probably going to break. Always attach the towing mechanism to a firm part of your vehicle.
Towing a car with a rope with someone steering is extremely dangerous. The steering mechanism may accidentally get blocked, turning everything into a huge disaster. You should never do this if you care about your safety.
Funny enough, some car owners have considered towing their vehicle on its roof. You can easily imagine the extent of the damage they’ve caused to their car. As vehicles are designed to move on their wheels, this is how they should be towed, either. There’s no other option, regardless of what you may consider.
All these examples have led many people into thinking towing your car is bad. However, if you do it the right way, it is as safe as any other method, so there’s nothing to worry about. Just inform yourself properly on the right ways of towing a vehicle, contact a professional service to do it, and watch them closely to see whether they are aware of the correct way of doing it. If you can afford the time to do it, it would be nice to search for background information on all local towing companies before choosing one of them. A company that has mostly positive reviews is probably good, so you can safely hire them to help you. You can rest assured there’s nothing wrong with the method, provided that it’s properly done.