COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A law intending to keep tow truck drivers safe went into effect July 1, but is it working?
The Allen Rose Tow Truck Safety Act is in honor of Allen Rose, a Colorado Springs tow truck driver who was dragged to his death in February while attempting to tow a car.
The law makes it a crime to get behind the wheel of a car being towed, and tow truck drivers are now required to post a large warning sign on the vehicle.
The idea was to make people aware of the tow in process and keep them away and safe, but some tow truck drivers said the signs aren't working.
"People are pulling the stickers off and winging them across the parking lot like they're a frisbee," Mary Miller, President and Owner of M&M Towing, said.
"I actually think that since the signs have came out, it's actually gotten worse, people are more mad about it" Michael Garcia, a tow truck operator, said.
Tow truck drivers like Garcia never know what they're going to face on a tow. Garcia recalled a recent encounter where he was forced to call the police.
"She was rude and actually tried to pull the sign and stuff out of my hands as I was trying to explain to her what the sign was all about," he said.
Garcia and his coworkers had numerous stories about being attacked and verbally abused.
"People don't understand. We're just out there doing a job. They're illegally parked and that's why we're there. We're not there to have a confrontation with them, we're just out there doing our jobs," he said.
Miller said she now tries to make sure there are two people on each tow.
"One can watch your back, while you're hooking the vehicle," Miller said.
As of July 1 tow truck drivers are now required to place signs on cars under tow, warning people to stay back.
"The law states that we have to have an 8"x8" sign. We figured it would be hard for people to see, so we upgraded to a 24"x24" and this goes over the door handle and people are supposed to read this before they actually enter the vehicle," Garcia said.
The sign states:
WARNING: This vehicle is in tow. Attempting to operate or operating this vehicle may result in criminal prosecution and may lead to injury or death to you or another person.
But Garcia said unfortunately the signs aren't working.
"We tell them not to rip it off and they do it anyways, so it's just blatant disregard and disrespect towards us," he said.
Not only is ripping the sign off disrespectful, but it's against the law too.
According to the law removing the sign is a Class 3 misdemeanor, which carries a punishment of a $50 to $750 fine and up to six months in jail.
Garcia and Miller said they understand people being upset, but it all comes down to following the rules.
"They're illegally parked. If you're not illegally parked you don't have to worry about being towed. All you have do is follow the rules like everybody else follows the rules," Miller said.