Visualize no tows.
It is every car owner's nightmare. You park your car, run an errand and return only to find your car missing. Argh. Even worse is being there as the tow truck pulls away with your car.
On the bright side, having your car towed is completely avoidable.
Here are our top eight tips for avoiding tows.
A car with five or more delinquent citations can be booted and towed at any time — even when your car is legally parked.
Plus, once your car is booted, you not only have to pay an extra fee to get the boot removed. If you do not quickly pay your tickets after being booted, you may then be towed. You will end up paying the boot fee as well as the towing and storage fees and any delinquent tickets and penalties before you get your car back.
Trust us, it is a whole lot easier and cheaper just to pay parking tickets on time.
- Tow-away zones during commute hours
- Yellow zones in downtown San Francisco
- Many red zones
- Bus stops
- Hospital red zones
- Blocking a driveway entrance
- Blocking an intersection
- Not moving your vehicle more than one-tenth of a mile in a 72-hour period (three days)
Cities tow illegally parked cars with greater frequency and speed in high-traffic areas, such as downtown. There also are frequently more parking restrictions.
During morning and evening commutes, cities often forbid parking on certain streets altogether. A perfectly legal parking spot at 2pm, could get you towed an hour later.
Typical peak commute hours are weekdays 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm.
If your car breaks down and you cannot legally park it, call a roadside assistance provider or private tow company. You can call AutoReturn at (415) 865-8200 to request towing assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is typically less expensive than a city-ordered tow to a storage lot.
- Mark your calendar with street cleaning and no parking times in your neighborhood and places where you frequently park.
- Set an alarm on your cell phone to remind you when your meter is due to expire.
- Buy a prepaid parking card at www.sfmta.com/cms/pmeter/parkingcard.htm. Never get stuck without quarters again.
The Police Department has the legal right to tow and impound your car if you do not have a current vehicle registration when stopped by the Department.
If you are stopped or questioned by the Police Department while driving and do not have a current driver's license, the police will order your vehicle towed if no one is immediately available to take over driving.
