Red Lights and other laws don't apply to Tow trucks in Toronto

[GTA Driver]

Light was red for about 4 seconds and a tow truck makes a right hand turn without stopping with an SUV to its right which was also making a turn. A black truck, possibly a tow truck follows as his light turns green

Clips with 3 different incidents, including the red light runner from the above. Another red light runner and another clip with a truck with some kind of garbage at the back rushing to the scene

edit: There has been a turf war going on for the last couple of years with the tow trucks. Involving arson and weapons. Globe and Mail article on the matter

 

[SawMaster]

@GTA Driver Tow truck wars- yeah we used to have that here too when the industry was unregulated. Back then when there was a crash, whoever showed up at the scene first got the tow, so guys sat at pre-selected spots with radio scanners and CB's listening for a crash report, then everyone nearby raced to the scene trying to beat the rest. Like with logging trucks (who get paid by the load) you learned to just get out of their way. We didn't get murders, but we did have everything short of that. It was crazy. You'd drive past a crash scene and see 2-3 guys fist-fighting in the middle of the road while the Cop just ignored them writing the reports in his car. Or if the Cop threatened the drivers with jail if they fought, they would hustle the crashed car driver(s) with a bidding war

Then the laws were changed (thank god!) and now if you want to tow from a Cop-controlled situation your company has to be on their 'approved' list and each company gets called out by the Police dispatcher in the order they are listed. If the car is being impounded (driver arrested and jailed) or with illegal parking etc., you get no choice, but in a crash you can ask for a specific tow company if you want. This has ended the wars and the roads are safer, but the downside is that any Police-called tow is considered an emergency call and a simple tow costs $400+. Same thing goes if your car went in the ditch and you didn't call the Cops- if you're discovered doing that you lose your 'listing' for a year and get a huge fine. But if you call the tow company yourself, or specify them to the Cop on scene, the tow can be as little as $40 And no tow company is allowd to be on scene unless they've been called.

The end result here has been good for everyone except those whose car has been impounded or who were not covered with towing insurance in a crash; that's going to cost you bigtime Otherwise the towing companies are now regulated, make good money on relatively regular calls, and if you know how the system works you can call or specify your towing company and get good prices. No more tow-truck races, fist-fights at crash scenes, vandalism and arsons, and no more wars between companies. Canada should be doing something like this. Perhaps you can call or write your local government representative and get them to introduce legislation to this effect- it's at least worth trying

Phil

 

[kamkar]

we never had any wars here, you have a subscription for such stuff, or as today it is often included in your insurance.
If "police" tow your car it can get expensive, but so can not having a towing subscription when you need it.
your car can only be unattended in a spot for 48 hours, but this is BS cuz i have seen wrecked cars with police tape on them sit in a ditch for the better part of 2 weeks, but this of course out in the countryside.
In a town or on a major road a car sitting can be a danger and so it will be removed pretty fast, by your tow company or whatever the police call to do the job you will not do.
Say the cops take your plates, then they put a sticker on the car with time and date it was "parked", and then its your job to get it out of there even if it is parked in a parking lot.
Same go if you have a project car in your garage with no plates on it, you can push it out to the curb but it cant just sit there for days, and Danes will actually complain to the police about such things as my friend experienced with a land rover he cut up for parts.

We have 2 main national companies here.
Some mechanics ( small ones ) might also be able to go get a car with a tow wagon or a auto trailer.

It is your job to get your more or less wrecked car off the street, if its not that bad you can call a M8 with a car and a tow rope to do it cheap.

Flashing a Ruger redhawk might do the trick in the old days.

 

[GTA Driver]

The way they do it SC is the way it should be done, but I don't know if it will work here. Cops don't enforce the traffic laws the way they should and they rarely attend accident scenes unless there is a death or criminal charge like a suspected DUI. As such, a dispatcher would not be able to call. If the vehicles are undriveable, the tows are there well ahead of the other emergency vehicles. A tower from Chicago commented on my youtube channel how the lack of regulations and towing rotations is creating "accident chasers".

I have CAA (Canadian Auto Association) and given what I have read in the papers, I will try to refuse the services of an ambulance chaser if possible, if I ever find my self in in that situation.

 

[flank]

Laws don’t apply here either. Second part of video.

 

[kamkar]

Trying to figure out why and who have interest in the world is what it is now are more mind boggling than the most outrageous mathematical theories.
Sure some parts are easy, other defy any explanation.

 

[GTA Driver]

I posted the "Williams towing truck runs red" video to reddit. It caught the attention of a police officer to verify the company as Williams as youtube made the lettering difficult to read. I posted some stills of the white truck on Imugr. It appears something is being done.

edit: "I posted the "Williams towing truck runs red" video to reddit.". Had stated youtube. In the Toronto driving sub reddit, it caught the attention of a police officer.

 

[GTA Driver]

The following are videos are NOT mine

Tow truck drivers have a Battle Royale

Another unorthodox turn

Durham Regional Police Service dash cam video of an arson

Edit: Removed an IMUGR image link as it was not coming across properly

 

[GTA Driver]

Another video which is not mine but illustrates the problem. If they don't kill someone with arson and shooting, their driving will.