Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
With temperatures well below freezing on Tuesday, AAA Mid-Atlantic experienced a record level of emergency roadside assistance volume.
The company said Tuesday afternoon that it was dispatched for 1,100 request for emergency roadside assistance in the five-county Philadelphia area by 11 a.m. on Tuesday. That number was only expected to grow as the day went on. AAA also helped more than 2,500 in the area on Monday, a 71 percent increase over calls for service recorded on December 30.
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“Extreme temperature shifts are hard on your vehicle, so don’t get caught off guard by the winter weather,” Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic Jenny M. Robinson said.
“Cold weather is especially hard on car batteries. According to AAA’s Automotive Research Center, at 0°F, a car’s battery loses about 60 percent of its strength and at 32°F it loses 35 percent. During cold temperatures starting an engine can take up to twice as much current as needed under normal conditions,” Robinson said.
The cold weather not only impacted vehicles, but Morrisville closed schools and the Bristol Borough School District opened two hours late. Bucks County opened its Code Blue shelters for the homeless through Thursday and Bristol Township operated a warming center on Tuesday.
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Below normal cold is expected through the end of the week.
