Tow Truck Regulations

[Anchor Lead]

There are continued reports and complaints about overcharging practices by tow truck operators. Drivers are advised to learn about tow trucks' charging rules in advance to avoid overcharging.

[Pkg]

This man surnamed Kim was involved in a traffic accident about a year ago. He had asked his insurance company to send a tow truck. However, a privately-owned wrecker first arrived at the scene and towed his car away. The private tow truck later charged Kim 470,000 won for towing his car about 20 kilometers. The charges are seven times higher than the standard fees set by the Transportation Ministry. This truck driver also fell victim to exorbitant overcharging by a wrecker. A privately-owned wrecker towed his truck some 500 kilometers and charged seven million won. The towing bill is over four million won higher than the standard price, even though the size of the truck was taken into account.

[Soundbite] Lee Seong-wook(Victim) : "I later realized that I had been overcharged. I was upset to find that I had paid millions of won more."

The Korea Consumer Agency says that the number of complaints regarding tow trucks is increasing annually. Complaints about overcharging account for the largest portion at 77.4 percent, followed by the practice of towing cars without their drivers' consent.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Pil-soo(Daelim University) : "It is necessary to actively protect consumers by introducing a one-strike-out system and eliminate wrecker drivers accused of misconduct."

It is clearly illegal if tow truck drivers fail to tell their customers of estimated charges in advance. To avoid overcharging, drivers are advised to check towing charges before letting wreckers pull away their cars, following accidents.