With possible wintry weather on the way Wednesday, road safety is of top concern. When conditions become too dangerous, sometimes you have no choice but to abandon your car. But there are several things you need to know if you’re ever in that situation, because of weather or just circumstance.
Sometimes you’ll see people use a grocery bag, towel or napkins stuck into their window as a signal. Putting an item in your window does tell law enforcement that you intend to return for your car.
“Throughout a routine day, it’s not uncommon to come across one,” said Master Trooper Brandon Baker with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “Everyday that’s part of our routine responsibilities.”
Trooper Baker says the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has a system for responding to cars on the side of the highway. They check any stopped car to make sure no one inside needs help or medical attention.
If the car is abandoned, they’ll place an orange sticker with information on the back window. Then the owner has 24 hours to remove the car before it’s towed.
Placing an object like a towel out of the window doesn’t get you a longer grace period. You still must return to move your car within 24 hours of when that orange sticker is placed. Severe weather, however, will give you more time to retrieve your car. Trooper Baker says snow is a gray area, but they generally won’t have abandoned cars towed until road conditions improve.
“Understand, if it’s safe for everyone to be on the road again, then it’s safe for the towing company to come and get the vehicle,” he said.
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