By Hayden Kenez
Cornwall,Ontario — October 11, 2012 — Some Cornwall towing companies are welcoming a new bylaw that will penalize aggressive companies at the scene of traffic collisions.
Duncan Cooper, owner of Cornwall Towing, is welcoming the bylaw, which he says will keep towing companies from harassing victims – many of whom are suffering the subsequent shock of a car crash.
“They (aggressive towers) are a problem,” says Cooper. “They solicit business to victims of car collisions who are in shock.”
He claims his business doesn’t engage in what he refers to as “accident chasing”, but some Cornwall towers do.
“A lot of guys will throw me under the bus for saying something about it, but that’s fine with me,” says Cooper, who says he petitioned the Cornwall Police for similar measures a year-and-a-half-ago.
Bill Sell, owner of City Tow and Recovery, located inCornwall, agrees that overzealous towers are a chronic problem.
“Too many companies are being too aggressive now,” says Sell. “Often officers will arrive on-scene with tow trucks already there, and injured people with cards in their hands.”
Sell is welcoming the new bylaw, which he hopes will deter other towers from taking advantage of shocked and traumatized drivers.
The bylaw, which was passed by the Cornwall Police Services Board, will be implemented on November 1, and will see police fining towing companies who come within 200 metres of accident scenes without police permission. The fines begin at $1,000 for a first offence and progress as the infractions recur: $2,000 for a second offence and $5,000 for a third.
