You might think that you would only need a tow truck if you are unlucky enough to have an accident on the road, but this is not correct. There are a number of other reasons why you might need to have your car towed or take advantage of any assistance offered by a 24-hour towing company. Here is a look at some of the most common reasons you might need this service.

Overheating

Engines will overheat if they are low on coolant, so check your coolant level regularly. If your car does overheat, pull over to the side of the road as soon as possible. Do not open the hood until 30 minutes has passed. This gives your engine a chance to cool down. If you have any extra coolant available, top off the coolant level. You can also use water as long as the water is not cold.

Check for any leaks on the coolant tank. If you have a leak, or no coolant or water is available, it's best to call a tow truck to come get you rather than risk having the engine overheat again.

Battery

Drivers often wind up stranded on the side of the road due to battery problems. Sometimes this is due to corrosion on the battery terminals. In this case, you could just scrape off the corrosion with the screwdriver and see if the car will start. If this does not work, the battery might need to be recharged. A tow truck driver will have a battery charger with him and can try to recharge the battery on the spot. If this fails, the driver can just tow the truck to the nearest repair shop or service center.

Flat

A third common reason tow trucks are called for assistance is because of flats. When you have a flat, it's possible to change it yourself if you pull the car will off the side of the road and the flat is not on the side of the car facing traffic.

Never attempt to change a flat on the side of the road when you are exposed to traffic. This can result in serious injury or even a fatality. Call a tow truck service and let them deal with the situation. They will be able to move the car to a safe location and repair the flat without any danger to anyone.

Clearly, tow trucks are an extremely useful service that can come in handy for a variety of different situations. Hopefully, you won't need one, but it's nice to know that they are there if you do.

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