Towing Your Car

Regardless of the reason you have for towing your car, it should always be done safely. The thing is, there are times when you will need to tow your car in different ways. Make sure you know what your options are before you choose the wrong method for your situation.

There are many different reasons for towing your car, and not all of them involve your vehicle not being able to start. In fact, some situations will practically demand one method for towing your car over that of another. The trick is to figure out which method should be used in which situation. Here are a few of the different methods that you have at your disposal. Next to each type you will find a brief description of what is entailed with that method, and when it would be most beneficial to use it.

• Ropes or chains. Using ropes and chains to tow a vehicle is one of the most traditional methods for moving around a problematic vehicle. However, there are a lot of restrictions to this method. The first and foremost is that it isn't exactly all that safe, and as such many city's have ordinances which limit the distance that you can transport a disabled vehicle in this manner. If you plan on using this method, make sure that you know what the ordinances for your particular city are, and don't plan on going very fast or far. The very fastest that you should travel is about 45 miles per hour (which means no highway travel) and no greater distance than 10 miles at the absolute maximum.
• Tow bars. Tow bars are a more formalized (and thus safer) method for towing a car. In daily life this method is usually seen when a motor home or recreational vehicle is towing around a smaller car. This method is also referred to as flat towing (since all four wheels are on the ground). Keep in mind that just as with ropes and chains, there may be some local ordinances that will affect whether or not you can utilize this method.
• Trailer. If you are looking to transport a vehicle long distances but are either unable or unwilling to drive the vehicle yourself, you may wish to utilize a trailer. By putting the towed vehicle on a flatbed trailer, and securing it tightly to that trailer, you can cover great distances safely. You can usually see this method used when a car has been seriously damaged to the point that a traditional tow truck cannot move it, or when a valuable vehicle is being transported.
• Tow dolly. A tow dolly is almost like a miniature trailer, except you are lifting two of the wheels from direct contact with the ground instead of all four. This method is also very effective at transporting or towing a vehicle great distances, and is usually seen when people are moving.
• Hire a professional. One of the options that anyone can use to tow a car is to simply hire a professional. However, since this can potentially be an extremely expensive option (in large part depending on the nature, and distance, of the tow) this is usually reserved as a last resort.