Georgia Roadside Tow Companies Lack Training, Accountability and Fail to Meet Legal Requirements According to a Recent Insurance Risk Assessment on Georgia's Towing Industry
ATLANTA, February 16, 2021 (Newswire.com) - ATLANTA, February 16, 2021 (Newswire) - Georgia Roadside Tow Companies lack training, accountability and fail to meet legal requirements according to a recent Insurance Risk Assessment on Georgia's towing industry by Insurance Risk Services of Georgia (IRSG). They found 87% of Atlanta area Tow Companies fail to meet legal requirements to operate that perform roadside assistance for automotive manufacturers and insurance companies. They are failing to obtain business licenses, annual USDOT safety inspections, medical-cards, and training. The main cause for this failure is Georgia's lack of oversight on the Roadside Assistance Towing Industry and the ignorance of the Tow Company owners, who fail to charge appropriate rates from Roadside Assistance Companies that serve Automobile Manufacturers, Insurance Companies and Automotive Garages.
Most Towing Companies have their drivers go out to perform service without providing any formal training to the tow operator for the various situations they will experience or educate them with the legal responsibility they are charged with under the law. Tow Operators are damaging motorist vehicles while performing Roadside Assistance without meeting Georgia legal requirements for Towing. Placing the public in danger and giving cause to insurance adjusters to deny Insurance Claims.
The highest rate of illegal roadside activities occurs in the highly populated 4-county Metro-Atlanta area. Tow Companies come from outside the area failing to meet legal requirements and operate because of the lack of oversite. Exposing the public to physical and financial danger. These illegal activities include:
- Failing to obtain a valid business license;
- Failing to obtain proper insurance coverages in coverage amounts for commercial use in the actual legal business-name;
- Failing to obtain USDOT truck-safety-inspections and USDOT driver medical-cards;
- Perform unattended towing without vehicle operator being present at time of service (Identification must be shown, signature granting permission for service and pre-trip inspection for insurance coverage);
- Performing tire-changes; GA Insurance law makes this an auto-repair and prohibited to be completed by any tow operator;
- Tow Operators dropping vehicles into multi-family housing areas (apartments, townhouses, and condominiums). Residents/Occupants do not have authority to grant permission to a tow operator over these 3rd party-private-parking areas, this is explained in a lease or the home-owners-association bi-laws and local zoning law. Tow Operators face a Criminal Trespass Offense for dropping of vehicles into these areas;
- Failing to keep driver logbooks as required by USDOT
Motorists need to perform due diligence look for reputable tow providers that specialize in your needs that operate in the Atlanta area. Look at the equipment a tow operator has, if it appears to be faulty, refuse service. If you use roadside assistance, be even more careful, most providers used by Roadside Assistance fail to meet Georgia's legal requirements. If your vehicle is exotic, antique, specialty or valued over $75,000, skip roadside assistance and call a tow company that specializes in your situation (parking garage, missing tire, etc.). Most Roadside Assistance Towing Companies dispatched fail to possess proper training and equipment. If a tow operator arrives in a questionable truck or uses chains, stop them and get a different provider because chains will damage the vehicle at owner's expense.
Insurance Risk Services of Georgia
jpeacock@insuranceriskservicesga.com
Source: Insurance Risk Services of Georgia (IRSG)