Even if a friend or relative of yours has their own towing equipment that they could tow your vehicle with, if your vehicle broke down, there are still many scenarios in which it's far better to use the emergency towing services offered by a towing business. Here are two of those situations.

Your vehicle broke down in a dangerous neighbourhood

If your vehicle breaks down whilst you are in a dangerous neighbourhood that is known for having lots of criminal activity, it is imperative not to get a friend or relative to tow your vehicle but to instead call a business that specialises in emergency towing. The reason for this is that in these circumstances, your goal should be to get yourself and your vehicle out of this environment as fast as possible, as this would be the best way to prevent a criminal from harming you or damaging your vehicle.

Emergency tow truck drivers spend every workday driving around the local area in which the towing company operates. Because of this, they usually know the local roads extremely well and are familiar with which of them tend to have traffic jams at certain times of the day, as well as which routes allow them to reach certain neighbourhoods fastest. As such, unless your friend or family member is living in the dangerous neighbourhood where your vehicle has broken down, it's highly unlikely that they'll be able to reach you sooner than the tow truck driver.

Additionally, the tow truck driver will be able to secure your car to their towing equipment, load it up and prepare it for the journey far faster than your friend or relative could, simply because most tow truck drivers do this task dozens of times each week and so are not, for example, going to get confused about how to use the equipment or make a mistake when using it that they then have to correct, in the way that your far less experienced relative or friend might.

Your vehicle broke down a long way from any automotive garage or your own home

If your vehicle breaks down in, for example, a very rural location that is a great distance from any automotive garage or your own home, you should call an emergency towing business. The reason for this is that in this situation, your vehicle will need to be towed for quite a long time. Whilst it might, for example, be safe for your relative to tow your vehicle a short distance on a quiet, straight road, the chances of them being able to safely do this, in a way that won't result in your vehicle being damaged or them getting into an accident when the journey to the closest garage or your home is much longer, will be very low.

This is because the tow truck driver will have prior training and far more practical experience with doing this, whereas your family member or friend, who may have only done this a handful of times (if that) will be far more likely to make a serious mistake. They might, for example, take a corner at high speed, which could cause your vehicle to then skid and strike a motorist or a street light. 

For more information, contact a local emergency towing company.