Hopefully, you won't need it, but if you have to call CAA, be prepared to wait.
The service has been overwhelmed with calls during this cold snap. There were 38,808 calls last week in the area stretching from Windsor to Kingston. That's an increase of 56% from the same period in 2016.
CAA took 700 calls in Windsor, 250 in Chatham-Kent, and in London, 1,400 calls during that week.
December 27 marked an auspicious record for CAA South Central Ontario; it was their busiest day in four years with 9,149 members calling for help.
"This extended cold snap was the first time that many members had to use CAA services," says Vice-President of Membership and Automotive Service Cindy Hillaby. "We assure members that we are doing everything we can to get them and keep them safe."
© Can Stock Photo / dolgachov
Elliott Silverstein with CAA says high call volumes may mean a wait because they are prioritizing them by need.
"If you are at home with a battery that may not be starting, we'll try to get to you," he says. "[We'll] also encourage you to call for alternative service. We want to ensure that those that are vulnerable, that don't have heat and are stuck on the roads are given first priority."
CAA always recommend members carry their membership card with them when they travel and make sure tires are inflated properly, fluids are topped up, and a snowbrush at the ready. In the event, you are trapped in your car, it recommends keeping a warm blanket in your vehicle, a change of clothes, food and drink. A cellphone and a charger are also a must.
Asked if members heed the advice, Silverstein insisted most do.
"Really what I think we are seeing here is a lot of vehicles that probably would have been well maintained, gone through servicing, but have really just suffered from the extreme cold temperatures that we've been seeing over the past week or ten days," he says.
Members can choose to contact an alternate service if the wait is too long. Keep the bill and submit it for a refund.
