AAA Mid Atlantic Reports Nearly 3,200 Roadside Assistance Requests On Monday
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Bitter cold during the President's Day weekend, with some snow added on top, has meant a jump in the number of drivers needing a helping hand in the Delaware Valley.
The first call early Tuesday morning coming in to the AAA Mid-Atlantic Fleet Dispatch Center was for a car stuck in the snow in Germantown. "Slammed," dispatcher Dan DiMuzio said, describing President's Day.
"Every truck we had was out on the street. Testing batteries or if a car needed a replacement we did a mobile replacement. If the car needed to be towed we had our tow trucks out there," he said. "We had to make another order of batteries."
AAA Mid-Atlantic reports getting nearly 3,200 roadside assistance requests in the Philadelphia area on Monday. Fifty five percent were battery-related issues. Compare that to last Monday, February 9 when there were 1,325 total requests - 335 battery calls.
AAA says at 32 degrees, a car's battery loses 35 percent of its strength and when it is 0 degrees out, a car's battery loses about 60 percent. If your battery is more than three years old, AAA suggests you get it checked.
The wicked cold and the snow means an increased chance of encountering problems on the roads and DiMuzio said it's always best to be ready for the worst.
"Put a blanket in the car, some snacks, some water. And the emergency kit - make sure you have jumper cables in there. Your cell phone batteries are charged - in case you get caught on the side of the highway or you get stuck somewhere."
