Smart sticker could stop your car being towed away

TowStop is a smart sticker that alerts car owners when a parking enforcer is about to tow their vehicle.

Parking restrictions are clearly there for a reason, but sometimes drivers have a need to just quickly park to pop into a shop or pick someone up. It seems to be in these moments that motorists are most likely to get a ticket or — even worse — get towed. While the Fixed app already help drivers retrospectively challenge parking tickets, TowStop is a smart sticker that alerts car owners when a parking enforcer is about to tow their vehicle.

TowStop consists of a small box that can be easily attached to the windshield of the car when temporarily parking in a restricted area. If a parking attendant notices the infraction, the sticker lets them know that the driver is nearby and advises them not to tow the car away. Instead, attendants can touch their hand to the sticker, which triggers the device to send a warning call the driver's pre-set contact number. The idea is that hopefully users can get back to their car in time to move it and appease the parking inspector.

According to the Germany-based company, police are required by law to offer the cheapest alternative to the driver, and if they're present that's to let them move the car. Considering tows can cost exorbitant fees for drivers, TowStop could give drivers a chance to avoid a huge bill.

Watch the video below to learn more about the device:

TowStop can currently be pre-ordered from EUR 54 through the company's Indiegogo campaign. Are there other ways to ensure motorists don't fall foul of road restrictions?