Red Deer motorists were getting re-acquainted with tow truck drivers on Friday when the harsh cold turned engines into blocks of ice.
Central Albertans woke up Friday to the first extreme cold warning of the season.
In Red Deer, 15 km/h winds meant the morning wind chill reached about -40 C and -26 C in the afternoon.
Saturday was calling for a high of -13 C, but the windchill would make it feel like -30 C in the morning and -19 C in the afternoon.
Mar-Tin Towing & Recovery received its first call at 4:10 a.m. and anticipated about 50 calls by noon.
“The first snowfall is mostly tows due to accidents. The first cold spell is mostly battery boosts because people forget to plug in their vehicles, or replace their battery,” said co-owner Tina Larson.
Luckily, a boost only takes about four minutes, she said.
“My best advice is maintain your vehicle for winter.”
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Dispatcher Jody Bowes, of Trio Towing Professionals Ltd., said calls were steady, but not overwhelming Friday morning.
“I think people had enough time to acclimatize to the environment yesterday,” Bowes said about Thursday’s cold.
She said Trio responds to a lot of vehicles on highways and so far the Sheriff’s department was not calling.
“Which is good because it means people are not getting hurt.”
Freezing rain has kept the towing company busy in recent weeks, and she advised drivers to regularly keep a safe distance from other vehicles on Alberta’s winter roads.
“Just because it’s clear doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t black ice underneath. Be aware of your surroundings. People could be sliding towards you. Be prepared to make an emergency maneuver.”
And in the case of a breakdown on the highway or busy road, people should stay put in their vehicle which is the safest and warmest place to wait for a tow, she said.
“If somebody does hit you, you’re still in a protected environment,” Bowes said.
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Chad Brinston, fleet performance manager with the Alberta Motor Association, said calls for on-the-spot assistance, for issues with tires or batteries, was 154 per cent of normal for Red Deer and central Alberta on Friday. Calls requiring a tow were 143 per cent of normal.
He said battery-related issues usually represent 2o to 25 per cent of rescues, but during COVID it increased to about 30 per cent.
“We contribute that to COVID times where there are a lot of folks driving a lot less and encountering a lot of battery related instances as a result of that,” Brinston said.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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