Tow truck towing a broken down car on the street. Courtesy of Getty Images Whether its a car battery dying skidding into a ditch or crashing a car towing companies offer important services for when a car is in an undrivable situation. With winter approaching the threat of ice low visibility and low temperatures makes towing services in high demand. Kyle Dirks manager at Butchs Auto said doing preventative maintenance is crucial in order to avoid having to be towed. Dirks said making sure you have enough gas in your gas tank treating your gas tank as half is empty in the winter as well as having windows scrapped of ice and snow are preventative measures that can help to avoid needing a tow. Mark Hansen owner of Mark Hansens Complete Automotive Repair Service also said to take preventative measures to avoid having to be towed. Hansen said to examine your tires in order to make sure that they are full and in decent condition. Be proactive and not reactive Hansen said. By preparing to drive you can prevent having to be towed in the first place. Although it is good to prepare sometimes being towed is unavoidable. If you find yourself in need of a tow there are things that can be done to help the process go smoothly. David Williams towing and recovery specialist at Central Iowa Towing and Recovery said that one of the things that people can do to help with the towing process is to know where their car is located. Without a location a tow truck will take a significantly longer time in order to determine where the tow is needed. In addition to knowing where your car is located it is important that the towing company gets the keys to the vehicle. Dirks said that not having keys is a common issue. By not having the keys to the vehicle there is no way to get into the vehicle to put it in drive or to turn the vehicle on to aid in the towing process. If you are in need of a tow it is also important to be prepared to wait. Be patient Dirks said. This is something that is easy to forget. There are other people that need to be towed and a tow truck will not instantly show up after a phone number is dialed. Although you may be running late or panicking due to being in a bad situation the tow truck will not arrive any faster. It is also important to know that tow trucks cannot be on the road at all times. Williams said that if a tow ban a ban on towing issued if conditions are dangerous to tow in is in effect it could take a significant amount of time before tow trucks are allowed to go onto the interstate. When the tow truck arrives Williams said it is best if you stay at a safe place to avoid getting injured and to avoid getting in the way of the towing company. No one plans a breakdown Hansen said. It is important to remember that towing a car is not planned. By knowing what to do and staying calm towing can be an easy process. Read more: http://www.iowastatedaily.com/special_sections/article_fbd249fc-a63e-11e6-bac2-5b3851b6b4ce.html Call us if you need a tow truck What to know if you need a tow was originally seen on ApexTowing - Dublin via Apex Towing All Blogs http://apextowing.tumblr.com/post/153683365203