Dear Drive… What happens when your car gets towed?

It’s an inconvenience like no other, but where does your car go after being towed, and how do you get it back?

Dear Drive… Where we answer reader, viewer, and listener questions. Something on your mind? Call us on the radio show or email us at contactus@drive.com.au.

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Ged asks:

Luckily I’ve not had it happen to me before, but I was wondering what would happen when a car gets towed?

Be it through negligence or arrogance (perhaps a mix of both), you can find yourself stranded and your car towed if you’ve parked illegally in a clearway.

Though you might first wonder if your car’s been stolen, contextual clues such as clearway signs should lead you towards the former.

A clearway is a section of road where parking and stopping are disallowed at certain times (usually peak-hour traffic), as designated by posted clearway signs.

If you park in one of these zones during restricted times, your vehicle can be towed away to an impound lot and you may be liable to pay fines and a release fee.

There is no note or explanation in lieu of your car when it gets towed, which can be confronting.

How do you know if your car has been towed?

To double-check the car has in fact been towed, you can consult online databases such as Nationwide Towing & Transport (Melbourne) and Towlink (New South Wales).

Find out whether your car has been towed through the following contacts:

• Nationwide Towing & Transport (134 869) – Victoria
• Towlink (131 700) – New South Wales
• (07) 3403 8888 – Brisbane
• Main Roads (08 138 138) – Perth
• 1300 310 487 – Hobart

How much does it cost when your car gets towed?

Councils, towing companies and impound lots can charge parking fines, towing fees as well as release fees, which can cumulatively exceed $500 in some circumstances.

If I see my car being towed, can I ask for it back on the spot?

According to VicRoads, “If a driver returns to their vehicle being towed and the tow truck hasn’t left the area to travel to the impound yard, they will have the option to pay the vehicle release fee and have their vehicle released at the nearest safe location”.

EFTPOS should be available on the go, so that drivers can complete the transaction and have the car returned to them.

Unfortunately this doesn’t get you out of a fine, but at least you save yourself the inconvenience of having to retrieve it from elsewhere.

Where do I go if my car has been towed?

Once you’ve contacted the relevant authority listed above to determine whether your vehicle’s been towed, you’ll also be told where to pick it up.

Those who have had their car towed are encouraged to contact and pick up their cars as soon as possible, because impounded cars can incur further storage fees if kept for longer than 48 hours.

Most impound lots are open until late in the day (7–9pm depending on state) Monday through Friday, with limited operating hours on a Saturday.

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Have a question about your next set of wheels or just need some car advice? No query is too big, small or obscure! Call in to the radio show (Trent on 2GB Sydney 1:30pm Monday and 9:00pm Wednesday, 5AA South Australia 1:30pm Tuesday, and James on 3AW Melbourne 9:00pm each Thursday), or contact us by email here: contactus@drive.com.au.

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