AAA Reports Increase In Battery-related Calls Due To Cold Weather
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – With temperatures set to drop into the single digits overnight and remain in the teens on Tuesday, AAA is reported a double-digit increase in car battery-related calls.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, roadside battery assistance calls in the five county Philadelphia area were up 145% this past Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014 when compared to 2013's Saturday, Jan. 5.
Meanwhile, New Jersey calls were up 218% and Delaware calls rose 159%.
"Battery-related assistance calls typically jump when we see periods of extreme cold," said Jenny Robinson, Manager of Public and Government Affair for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
AAA says cold weather is extremely hard on car batteries. Research done by the organization reveals a car battery loses about 60% of its strength at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and about 35% at 32 degrees.
While AAA says that modern cars don't require a lengthy warm-up due to a switch from fuel injection to carburetor start-up systems, it does recommend drivers "go easy for those first few miles."
