It’s important to know your rights before your car is towed. | PHOTO: TONODIAZ/ENVATO
ADVOCACY
Know Before the Tow
Following advocacy from AMA, new provincial rules curb predatory towing.
By Graham Heeps
From a battery boost, which is a pretty minor fix, to a more serious situation, such as a collision, most drivers will need to call for roadside assistance at some point. Needing help when you’re on the side of the road leaves motorists in a vulnerable position. There are times when a tow truck is the only way to get moving again, and while there are many reputable operators, including AMA, a small minority do not have the driver’s best interests in mind. After making headlines in other provinces, the issue of predatory towing has been growing in Alberta, too. What is predatory towing? When tow operators arrive uninvited and pressure drivers at the roadside to use their services, exploiting their vulnerability, this is predatory towing. But they don’t just prey on drivers in a stressful situation — they often inflate the price of towing services by adding hidden or fraudulent fees or employ other tactics that result in needless added expense. Protecting Albertans In 2024, AMA began educating drivers with its Know Before the Tow campaign, which highlights the importance of drivers knowing their rights when using roadside assistance. It notes that drivers in Alberta have the right to:
• refuse unsolicited towing services
• choose who tows your vehicle — and where — unless otherwise directed by police
• access your vehicle to retrieve personal items during a storage facility’s business hours
• ask if the towing company receives a kickback for taking your vehicle to a particular storage facility or repair shop
• get a quote prior to service, and an itemized invoice prior to making payment
AMA engaged with policymakers and raised awareness about the risks of predatory towing. It advocated for stronger consumer protections, including significant penalties, to ensure fair, transparent practices and to protect drivers from high-pressure tactics.
AMA created the Know Before the Tow campaign to help make drivers aware of their rights. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF GREG SOUTHAM
“Predatory towing practices have no place in our province, and clearer rules will help ensure people can feel confident they’ll be treated fairly when they need a tow.”
New rules to support drivers The provincial government has strengthened protections for drivers — and penalties for predatory towing operators.
In August 2025, the province introduced a 200-metre exclusion zone around collision scenes, prohibiting tow truck drivers from stopping unless called by the driver, the police or other authorized personnel. Operators who enter the exclusion zone without authorization can face a fine of up to $1,000.
Building on those measures, the province recently announced additional regulations to further protect Albertans. Effective April 1, 2026, operators will be required to disclose their towing and storage fees upfront, and obtain explicit driver consent before providing services — changes that reinforce the standards already upheld by reputable towing operators. The penalties for violations reflect the seriousness of this issue, with fines up to $300,000 and even potential jail time.
“Being broken down or involved in a collision is stressful enough,” says Jeff Kasbrick, vice president of government relations and operations at AMA. “Predatory towing practices have no place in our province, and clearer rules will help ensure people can feel confident they’ll be treated fairly when they need a tow.”
Kasbrick says AMA’s advocacy has been focused on ensuring stronger protections for drivers from predatory operators, as well as helping Albertans understand their rights. If drivers know what to expect during a tow, they can confidently insist on those rights and refuse the services of predatory operators.
If you need a tow after a collision, you have the right to choose who tows your vehicle, to understand the costs and to decide where it goes. And if a tow operator arrives uninvited, consider that a red flag and know that you can refuse their services.
Remember, help from AMA is always just a call or a tap on the app away. AMA