Pulling a Vehicle Out of the Ditch

Question: I have seen several cases of helpful citizens pulling cars out of the ditch with ropes and chains. Often times this obstructs other vehicle traffic, sometimes in both directions. Last night in the dark several vehicles had close calls with 'helpers' out on the road in the dark.

I always understood it was illegal to do this, without proper safety gear and maybe certification or license to do rescues?

No Specific Prohibition From Pulling a Vehicle Out of the Ditch

There is nothing in the Motor Vehicle Act that would specifically stop a good samaritan from pulling a stuck vehicle out of the ditch. It would be how they chose to do it that would cause a problem and those close calls you refer to would be the issue.

Possibility of Significant Risk

If you watch Highway Thru Hell or Heavy Rescue: 401 you see all the safety precautions that are taken before crews start to remove a vehicle. Despite this, there are still drivers who don't slow down and even collide with the tow trucks. Flaggers, barricades and flashing lights are sometimes not enough to keep everyone safe.

With a bit of planning and consideration you might be able to give another driver a quick tug back onto the road without causing trouble but anything more than that is likely best left to the professionals.

No Exemptions from the Rules of the Road

As the rescue driver in this situation, you don't have any exemption from the rules of the road. Add your duty to drive with reasonable consideration for others and not to drive without due care and attention and you can see that opportunities to help are limited.

Possibility of Insurance Coverage Denial

I asked ICBC about this situation and whether helping out would see a denial of insurance coverage if a crash occurred while a driver was attempting to pull another vehicle out of the ditch. "That would depend on the situation" was the response and they would not discuss it further. The risk is yours.

Consider Calling a Tow Truck Instead

Unless it is a matter of life and death, you should carefully consider the potential of your actions before you try to pull someone else out of the ditch.

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