Each year during winter months, BCAA's Road Assist division braces for an increase in calls from all over the province for roadside assistance.
This year, the organization is making dramatic efforts to encourage motorists to prepare for winter driving conditions in order to avoid a vehicle breakdown and more importantly - ensure their safety and the safety of other road users.
According to BCAA, the organization typically receives an average of 2,000 roadside assistance calls a day.
When harsh winter weather hits, the number of calls for roadside assistance can increase by more than 25 per cent. In the Metro Vancouver area, roadside assistance call volumes during snowy or frigid weather can double.
"Whether you're unable to unlock your car, start your car, or need to be recovered from a snow bank, our roadside assistance technicians see first-hand how distressing winter-related breakdowns can be for our members," says BCAA's Associate Vice President of Road Assist, Ken Cousin.
"Motorists need to appreciate that wet or freezing conditions place added stress on a vehicle, and can trigger a malfunction or breakdown at the most inopportune time, or worse - contribute to an accident."
To help motorists prepare themselves and the vehicles they drive for winter, BCAA's expert roadside assistant technicians recommend the following:
Prepare your vehicle. Take your vehicle to an automotive professional for a complete vehicle checkup long before cold weather settles in. Ensure tires are properly inflated. Use high-quality winter tires, all four the same. Test your battery and replace if necessary.
Carry emergency items. General emergency and first-aid kits, warm clothes, blanket, winter boots and gloves, fully charged mobile phone and phone charger, windshield scraper, snow brush, shovel and spare container of winter-grade washer fluid.
Manage your journey and be prepared for an emergency. Check for the latest weather information and allow extra travel time. If you're planning on driving over snowbound mountain passes, purchase correctly sized tire chains, and practice installing them at home, rather than at the roadside.
Visit bcaa.com/guard ianangel to find a full list of winter vehicle maintenance and driving tips that will help you reduce the risk of a vehicle breakdown and other inconveniences.
BCAA is also a part of the Winter Driving Safety Alliance and is participating in the "Shift Into Winter" campaign.
