Bitter Cold Causes Vehicle Problems as Work Week Begins

The weekend’s dose of snow and frigid cold temperatures continued into the work week, as calls to AAA Mid-Atlantic skyrocketed Monday morning. The culprit – bitter cold. The damage – dead car batteries.

“The effects of extreme cold temperatures on a car can be cumulative, as evidenced by our member calls for assistance throughout the weekend and into Monday morning,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “This weekend AAA Mid-Atlantic saw more than 1,360 calls for battery issues, accounting for approximately 35 percent of all AAA’s calls in the New Jersey area over the three day (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) period. Monday morning (through 11:30 a.m.), as people returned to work and school, the majority of calls to AAA (544) were for dead car batteries. AAA urges motorists to use this weekend’s winter weather event and frigid cold as a warning to make sure their vehicles are ready to handle the rest of what winter is sure to bring us.”

Monday Morning – AAA Roadside Assistance Statistics

As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, AAA Mid-Atlantic received over 1200 member calls for roadside assistance in the New Jersey area, 45 percent of those calls were for dead batteries.
•TOTAL CALLS = 1200
•DEAD BATTERIES = 544 (45% of all calls)

Weekend (Fri., Sat., Sun.) – AAA Roadside Assistance Statistics

Throughout the weekend, AAA Mid-Atlantic received over 4,400 member calls for roadside assistance in the New Jersey area, one third of those calls were for dead batteries.
•TOTAL CALLS = 4,481
•DEAD BATTERIES = 1,364 (1/3 of all calls)

Why Do Car Batteries Die – What Can Motorists Do
•At zero degrees, a car’s battery loses about 60 percent of its strength, yet the engine needs about twice as much power to start.
•Even at 32 degrees, a battery is 35 percent weaker.
•Add to the mix extra items we plug into our cars (cell phone chargers, upgraded audio, and GPS devices) and a battery’s life can be drained even faster.
•AAA recommends that drivers have their vehicle’s battery tested when it reaches three years of age and on an annual basis thereafter.
•AAA Car Care Centers offer FREE car battery checks for members and non-members.