Back in 2001 the RAC scored an industry first by developing rapid deployable towing system, or 'RDT'.
This purpose-built kit extends out of the rear of the patrol van to securely lift two wheels of the broken-down vehicle off the ground. So when a member’s vehicle cannot be fixed at the roadside our patrols use the RDT to tow them to a place of repair or to their chosen destination*.
Now all of our 1,600 patrol vans are fitted with an RDT.
But today’s bigger more complex vehicles mean we can’t always use the RDT to rescue every type.
So we developed and launched new equipment that brings flatbed recovery capability to our breakdown patrol vans. These latest vans can now fully lift all four wheels of broken-down vehicles enabling our patrols to recover these vehicles that would normally need to be recovered separately. This will potentially save hundreds of thousands of drivers time and stress every year by avoiding the need to call out an additional recovery vehicle.
The All-Wheels-Up recovery system means we can now recover more SUVs, 4x4s, pick-ups, vans, automatics, hybrids and even electric vehicles with a standard patrol van. We can also recover vehicles with faults that make towing impossible, like multiple punctured tyres, handbrake or transmission failures and many breakdowns caused by potholes.