Storm led to many roadside help calls

VW indepenent staff/submitted information

AAA emergency roadside service has been very busy since last weekend’s powerful winter storm swept across the state, grinding travel to a halt and stranding motorists. It was followed by frigid conditions, including highs in the single digits and sub-zero lows and wind chills.

“Our roadside calls helped us track the different stages of this storm,” said Morgan Dean, public affairs manager for AAA Club Alliance in Ohio. “On Saturday, with the cold weather moving in ahead of the snow, battery calls surged with 43 percent of our calls that day being for battery issues. By Sunday, with the snow still coming down and blanketing the state, nearly half of our calls were requests to help pull stranded drivers out of the snow.”

On Monday, battery issues and tows made up two-thirds of all calls in the AAA Club Alliance territory in Ohio. By Tuesday, as many more drivers were starting to dig out, batteries and tows made up 75 percent of all roadside calls for the day. 1,857 battery calls were made that day, along with 1,817 calls for a tow.

Batteries are struggling to keep a charge in this week’s bone-chilling temperatures.

 “At 32 degrees, a battery loses about 35 percent of its power, while needing 1.5 times as much power to start a vehicle,” Dean said. “At zero degrees, it’s lost 60 percent of its power but needs two times as much power to get a car started.”

Problems Causing Vehicle Breakdowns

According to AAA, the most common reasons for emergency roadside service calls during this storm have been:

• Extractions, e.g. pulling vehicles from a ditch or shoulder after a slide off
• Dead batteries, jump starts and battery replacements
• General engine problems and non-starts requiring a tow
• Flat tires and other tire problems

“Many of the vehicle problems seen during this arctic blast are a good reminder of the importance of regular vehicle maintenance, especially prior to extreme weather like we see in winter,” Dean said. “Old or weak batteries will have a difficult time starting a vehicle in freezing or sub-zero temperatures; have your battery charge tested. Tires gradually lose air pressure in cold temperatures and don’t offer good traction if the tread is low.”

“Fluids such as fresh oil, antifreeze and winter blend wiper fluid are also important to check and refresh in winter,” he added.