{"id":15439,"date":"2026-04-29T06:15:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T10:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/?p=15439"},"modified":"2026-04-29T06:15:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T10:15:35","slug":"towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/articles-15439-towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers","title":{"rendered":"Towing After a Collision in Ottawa: A Step-by-Step Guide for Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Collisions happen in Ottawa every day. They happen at the intersection of Bank Street and Hunt Club Road in South Keys, which has been one of the city&#8217;s most consistently collision-prone intersections for years. They happen on the 417 through Centretown during rush hour. They happen on residential streets in Orleans and Gloucester on winter mornings when the side streets are icy before the salt trucks arrive. They happen in parking lots in Kanata and Barrhaven on ordinary afternoons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most Ottawa drivers have never been through the full post-collision process. When it happens, having a mental map of what comes next makes a disorienting situation manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69ff21abe0e01\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69ff21abe0e01\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/articles-15439-towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers\/#The_First_Two_Minutes_After_Impact\" title=\"The First Two Minutes After Impact\">The First Two Minutes After Impact<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/articles-15439-towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers\/#Document_Before_Anything_Moves\" title=\"Document Before Anything Moves\">Document Before Anything Moves<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/articles-15439-towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers\/#Your_Right_to_Choose_Your_Own_Towing_Company\" title=\"Your Right to Choose Your Own&nbsp;Towing&nbsp;Company\">Your Right to Choose Your Own&nbsp;Towing&nbsp;Company<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/articles-15439-towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers\/#Specifying_the_Destination_Before_the_Truck_Moves\" title=\"Specifying the Destination Before the Truck Moves\">Specifying the Destination Before the Truck Moves<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/articles-15439-towing-after-a-collision-in-ottawa-a-step-by-step-guide-for-drivers\/#Contacting_Your_Insurer_After_the_Tow\" title=\"Contacting Your Insurer After the Tow\">Contacting Your Insurer After the Tow<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_First_Two_Minutes_After_Impact\"><\/span>The First Two Minutes After Impact<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Check for injuries first. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately and do not move injured people unless there is an immediate danger like fire or traffic. If everyone is uninjured and the vehicles are drivable, Ontario law requires you to move them off the active roadway when it is safe to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting vehicles off the active lane on a busy Ottawa road matters. A stopped vehicle in a live lane on Hunt Club Road or the Vanier Parkway creates cascading danger for every driver approaching from behind. If your vehicle cannot be moved, turn on your hazard lights and stay well clear of the active traffic lanes while you wait for an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontowing.com\/long-distance-towing-ottawa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ottawa towing company<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Document_Before_Anything_Moves\"><\/span>Document Before Anything Moves<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before any vehicle is towed from the scene, photograph everything you can. Both vehicles from multiple angles. Each vehicle&#8217;s damage up close. The road surface, any skid marks, and the position of both vehicles before anyone moves them. Traffic signals, road signs, and visible landmarks that identify where the collision happened. The other driver&#8217;s license plate, insurance card, and driver&#8217;s license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This documentation is irreplaceable once the vehicles move. Insurance adjusters working claims from Ottawa collision scenes rely on what was captured at the scene because the physical evidence disappears the moment the vehicles are towed. Take more photos than you think you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Your_Right_to_Choose_Your_Own_Towing_Company\"><\/span>Your Right to Choose Your Own&nbsp;<strong>Towing<\/strong>&nbsp;Company<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After a collision in Ottawa, you have the legal right under TSSEA to choose your own&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontowing.com\/services\/ottawa-flatbed-towing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">towing company<\/a>. No one can force you to use a specific operator, including police managing the scene. If an unsolicited truck shows up before you have called anyone, you are under no obligation to use them or pay them anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ontario Towing receives calls requesting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontowing.com\/light-medium-duty-towing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tow trucks<\/a>&nbsp;every week from Ottawa drivers who were approached at collision scenes by unsolicited operators and agreed without realizing they had a choice. Knowing this right in advance means you exercise it calmly rather than discovering it too late. When you call Ontario Towing, you control the destination, the price, and the documentation that gets produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specifying_the_Destination_Before_the_Truck_Moves\"><\/span>Specifying the Destination Before the Truck Moves<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tell the dispatcher where you want your vehicle taken before you agree to the tow. This destination can be a mechanic you already trust in your neighbourhood, your home address, or an insurer-approved repair facility. Confirm it again with the driver before the vehicle is loaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scenario you want to avoid is your vehicle ending up at an unauthorized storage facility with daily fees accumulating while your insurance claim is being processed. Under TSSEA, this is not permitted, but it continues to happen through operators who do not follow the rules. Specifying the destination clearly and confirming it before the truck moves is the protection against this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contacting_Your_Insurer_After_the_Tow\"><\/span>Contacting Your Insurer After the Tow<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Call your insurance company as soon as the situation is stable. Provide them with the other driver&#8217;s insurance information, your scene photos, any police report number, and the invoice from the towing company. Ontario Towing produces invoices formatted to meet the documentation requirements of major Ontario insurers, which means your claim moves forward rather than stalling on a technicality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Collisions happen in Ottawa every day. They happen at the intersection of Bank Street and Hunt Club Road in South Keys, which has been one of the city&#8217;s most consistently collision-prone intersections for years. They happen on the 417 through Centretown during rush hour. They happen on residential streets in Orleans and Gloucester on winter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":15440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1112],"tags":[4158,4161,4160,4156,4159,4155,4154,4157,4162],"motype":[1123],"moformat":[25],"moimportance":[32],"class_list":{"0":"post-15439","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-other","8":"tag-accident-towing-guide","9":"tag-car-accident-help","10":"tag-collision-repair","11":"tag-emergency-towing","12":"tag-post-crash-safety","13":"tag-roadside-assistance","14":"tag-towing-after-collision","15":"tag-towing-services","16":"tag-vehicle-recovery","17":"motype-articles","18":"moformat-reklamna","19":"moimportance-reklamna-stattya"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15443,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15439\/revisions\/15443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15439"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=15439"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=15439"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawa-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=15439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}