Penalties hiked for pushy operators near crash scenes

Fines shoot up for tow truck drivers

Fines for law-breaking tow truck drivers in Ottawa have more than doubled after the city’s bylaw department asked the courts for a stiffer penalty.

Bylaw Chief Roger Chapman confirmed that the city ’s request to increase fines related to tow truck violations had been approved by the chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.

That means offenders who breach the 100-metre buffer around crash scenes could be subject to fines of $500, up significantly from the previous $190.

Chapman didn’t say if the $500 was the fine amount the city requested.

When the victim surcharge is added to the ticket, the total fine for a tow truck offender will be $615.

The city has been faced with a dilemma about how to escalate enforcement of tow truck drivers who hover around crash scenes. The bylaw prohibits tow trucks from being within 100 metres of a vehicle involved in a collision or even an “apparent” collision.

The bylaw exists to protect motorists who have been involved in collisions from pushy tow truck drivers clamouring for business. Police in Ottawa wrote 148 tickets for tow truck drivers who broke the buffer law in 2017.

Firefighters and paramedics, who, along with police, most often arrive first at crash scenes, have been enlisted to help police and bylaw officers catch aggressive tow operators. They have witness forms to send to the bylaw department and officers can issue tickets against law-breaking tow operators.

The city’s revised traffic and parking bylaw came into effect Friday. There are no new measures in the bylaw regulating tow trucks; the most significant changes relate to on-street parking in areas without posted time limits. The new tow truck fines, however, came into effect on the same day.

When it comes to additional consumer-protection measures, Ottawa has largely let the province set rules for the tow industry. Unlike other Ontario municipalities, the city doesn’t have a tow operator licensing system or price regulations. The bylaw department has committed to monitoring provincial regulations and reporting back to council in the next four-year term, which begins in December. A handful of tow companies have indicated support for more regulations.

The city has also received the green light to hike fines for other offences under the traffic and parking bylaw.

According to Chapman, who responded to questions by email, fines for parking infractions generally stayed the same, but fines for “such offences as driving a vehicle on a sidewalk and disobeying a police officer” had changed, though he didn’t say how.