OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The heavy snowfall introduced on by the winter storm has stored AAA Oklahoma busy Wednesday.
The company has responded to 479 calls, half of which got here in since 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The calls embody 263 tows and slide-offs and 73 battery expenses and replacements.
“It’s all arms on deck at AAA in order that we could reply to stranded motorists as rapidly and safely as doable,” mentioned Leslie Gamble, AAA Oklahoma Public Affairs Supervisor. “Nobody ever plans on getting stranded, so AAA desires to be sure you and your car are prepared for the sudden.”
AAA protected driving ideas for slick roadways
- Decelerate: Modify your velocity to the street circumstances and go away your self ample room to cease. Enable a minimum of thrice extra space than typical between you and the automotive in entrance of you.
- Carry a winter climate package in your automotive: contents ought to embody a completely charged cellphone (and automotive charger), ice scraper, blanket, heat winter clothes, flashlight with further batteries, jumper cables, a bag of kitty litter, reflective triangles/flares, shovel and material/paper towels.
- Don’t tailgate: regular following distances of three to 4 seconds on dry pavement ought to be prolonged to a minimal of eight to 10 seconds when driving on slippery surfaces. The additional time will present further braking room ought to a sudden cease change into crucial.
- By no means use cruise management on slippery roads: patches of ice may cause sudden wheel spin and use of cruise management can sluggish driver response.
- Keep away from unnecessarily altering lanes: this will increase the possibilities of hitting a patch of ice between lanes that would trigger lack of car management.
- Use excessive warning on bridges and overpasses: black ice sometimes varieties first in shaded areas of the roadway and on bridges and overpasses that freeze first and soften final. Though the street main as much as a bridge could also be positive, the bridge itself may very well be a sheet of ice.
- Transfer Over: transfer over one lane for regulation enforcement and emergency roadside personnel helping motorists. It’s the regulation. In case you are unable to maneuver over, decelerate.
- Suppose ‘Forward’ – Maintain an in depth eye on visitors forward and decelerate instantly on the sight of brake lights, fishtailing vehicles, sideways skids or emergency flashers forward.
- Carry your AAA Membership Card – obtain the AAA app to expedite the rescue course of within the occasion of a breakdown or slide-off.
AAA recommends drivers take motion earlier than driving:
- Defend car: If doable park automotive inside storage or beneath a canopy like a carport.
- Take away all ice and snow from surfaces – not simply windshield
- Dry and lubricate surfaces: Wipe down and dry climate strips and surfaces round doorways and home windows. Apply a lubricant (WD40, cooking spray and even Vaseline work effectively) to the climate stripping to forestall freezing.
- Windshield wipers: Pull wipers away out of your windshield to forestall them from freezing to the windshield.
- Use the correct windshield washer solvent: Be sure windshield washer solvent is the proper kind for winter. Summer time rated solvents will freeze and may trigger cracking and severe harm to the washer reservoir.
AAA provide ideas after icing circumstances have an effect on autos:
- Ice coated windshield/home windows: NEVER pour sizzling water on windshield or home windows, this may trigger the glass to interrupt. Use car defrosters to soften ice for simpler removing. Don’t use windshield wipers to take away ice – this can harm the blades.
- Frozen home windows: Don’t proceed to push the facility window buttons if the window is frozen, it will possibly harm the mechanics contained in the door and also can trigger the window to interrupt.
- Frozen locks: By no means use water to thaw frozen locks, as an alternative use industrial deicing merchandise or warmth the important thing and lock with a hair dryer. A lighter will also be used to warmth the important thing.
- Frozen windshield wipers: If windshield wipers are frozen to the windshield, use the heater and defroster to soften the ice earlier than turning the windshield wipers on. While you arrive at your vacation spot bear in mind to drag the windshield wipers away from the windshield to forestall refreezing.
