Final months of winter take a toll on vehicles DENVER, Jan. 17 — More motorists need roadside assistance in February than any other month of the winter season, according to AAA Colorado, the state’s largest roadside assistance provider. “It's easy to get a false sense of security in Colorado since we have passed a large portion of the season in which we see snowfall and cold temperatures on a regular basis,” says Rob Wunsch, AAA Colorado's Director of Roadside Services. “However, we get more roadside assistance requests in February than any other time during winter. Motorists should prepare their vehicles for ongoing winter driving conditions, so they can avoid needing roadside assistance.” The top 4 most common reasons for roadside assistance requests to AAA Colorado:
Following is a checklist from AAA Colorado to help motorists prepare their vehicles for the rest of the winter season: Check the battery – Cold weather is hard on batteries. At a comparatively mild 32 degrees, a battery is 35 percent weaker than at warmer temperatures. At zero degrees, a car’s battery loses approximately 60 percent of its strength. A battery load test performed by a qualified technician will determine a battery’s strength for the remainder of the winter. Check the tires – Tires should always be inflated to their specified poundage and have enough tread to handle all road conditions. To check tire tread, look for the “wear bar” that periodically runs across the hollow of each tread. If the tread has been worn down to the same height as the wear bar, it’s time for new tires. Check the windshield wipers, fluid and defroster – Driving with a wet, snow- or ice-covered windshield invites a crash. Make sure wipers and the defroster are in good working order. Verify that windshield washer fluid reservoirs are filled with no-freeze washer fluid. Prepare for an emergency — Sometimes no matter how well a vehicle is maintained, roadside assistance is still required. Motorists should prepare in advance in case they are stranded. Have a cell phone, including extra batteries, with contact numbers for roadside assistance and emergency service providers. Keep an emergency car kit in the trunk with jumper cables, general first aid kit, tire chains, blanket, extra set of clothes, non-clumping kitty litter for traction, flares or reflective triangles, a flashlight with extra batteries, gallon jug of water, non-perishable food items, window washer solvent, ice scraper, snow brush and shovel. AAA Colorado has more than 500,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com. |
