When you’ve been in a car accident, whether you were at fault or not, you may be wondering if you can drive your car afterwards or if you need to call a towing service instead. This will depend on the extent of the damage to your vehicle.
What does roadworthy mean?
After a minor car accident, your car may only have a few dents and scratches, and therefore might meet the standards for roadworthiness in your state. Roadworthy means that your vehicle is in suitable operating condition and meets the accepted standards for safe driving on the road. In these instances, you may not need to make use of towing services.
What is an unroadworthy vehicle?
If your car is unroadworthy, it means that it’s not suitable or safe enough for use on the road. Keep in mind that it’s unlawful to drive a vehicle when it’s not roadworthy. If you think your vehicle is not roadworthy, you should arrange a towing service to move it safely to another location. In Australia, different states have different laws in place for tow truck services.
How do I know if I need to use a towing service?
If you’ve been involved in a car accident and you’re unsure about whether your car is drivable after the accident or not, here are some instances of when a vehicle is not considered roadworthy:
- Windows or windscreen are smashed.
- Side mirrors are broken.
- Suspension, steering, or braking systems are damaged.
- Oil is leaking.
- Body flaws (like panel damage) have been sustained.
- Headlights or taillights are damaged / broken.
- Seat and seatbelts are damaged.
- Airbags have been deployed.
- Boot has been damaged and cannot be opened or closed.
- There are fumes entering the vehicle.
- Doors are damaged and they are unable to open or close properly.
- Any other damage that has deemed the vehicle to be considered UNSAFE to be on the road because of the accident.
How can Right2Drive help me after an accident?
Whether you’ve been in a minor car accident or a major crash, if you’re the not at fault driver, Right2Drive might be able to assist you. To find out if you qualify, take a look at our eligibility page.
As long as you meet our eligibility criteria, Right2Drive may be able to help you in the following ways:
- After an accident that has left your car unroadworthy, simply give us a call and we can help you to arrange a towing service. In certain states, like Victoria, we can assist by providing guidance on how you can arrange a towing service for yourself.
- Right2Drive can also help by booking you an Uber to pick you up from the scene of the accident – at no cost to you.
- Right2Drive may be able to provide you with a like-for-like accident replacement vehicle where the costs are covered by the at fault party or their insurer. Depending on staff availability, we may be able to deliver an accident loan car to you at the accident scene.
Call Right2Drive on 1300 100 121 to find out how we can help you.
