AAA Says Thousands Will Call for Help over Holiday 

Urges Motorists to Attend to Car Care this Weekend

(You'll Be Thankful You Did!)

If you are planning to hit the road next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, AAA says you should plan on getting your vehicle road-ready this weekend...and you’ll be thankful you did.

That’s because, AAA says, they typically get thousands of calls over Thanksgiving  – just in the greater Hartford area alone – and many of them require a tow.

“Last year AAA responded to almost 4000 emergency roadside calls over the holiday, many of which could have been avoided with just a little car care,” says Amy Parmenter, spokesperson for AAA in greater Hartford."

2016 By the Numbers

In addition to the vehicles that needed to be towed, AAA says in 2016, it got about 1000 calls from members with dead batteries and about 500 calls for tire troubles. More than 400 people locked themselves out of their vehicle and about 75 drivers ran out of gas.

The number of people driving to their Thanksgiving destinations is expected to be the highest it has been in more than 10 years. AAA expects Emergency Roadside call volume will increase accordingly and so they are reminding motorists to invest a little time this weekend to save time and money next weekend.

“It’s bad enough to be stuck in traffic over a holiday weekend but being stuck on the side of the road is even worse”, Parmenter says.

Reminder: Vehicles can be inspected by a trusted mechanic at any one of AAA’s 7,000 Approved Auto Repair facilities across North America.

AAA Offers the following Car Care Checklist:

• Check your battery, especially if it is more than 3 years old – most batteries last 3-5 years

• Check tire pressure – don’t forget to check the spare – if you have one!

• Check tire tread – Exchange.AAA.com offers a simple visual check using a penny or a quarter

• Check windshield wipers to make sure they are in good working order and check wiper fluids

• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged so you can call for help if needed

• Pack an emergency kit including a blanket, water and snacks

• Make sure your AAA membership is up to date

AAA projects almost 51 million Americans will be traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday and most of them (89%) will be driving. 

Members can download the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com or call 1-800-AAA-HELP to request roadside assistance.

Follow us on Twitter: @AAAHartfordNews

CT Mailing Address:
815 Farmington Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06119

AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 58 million members nationwide and more than one million members in Connecticut.  AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years. The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit www.aaa.com.