Auto Alert: AAA Expects To Help Over 340,000 Drivers Over Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day is just around the corner, prompting many travelers to make the most of the summer’s final three-day weekend.

AAA expects a 5 percent increase in roadside assistance requests over the holiday weekend, including 90,007 calls from California. Flat tires, lockouts, and dead vehicle batteries are the most common breakdown calls.

“Regular vehicle maintenance can help drivers avoid a breakdown while also extending the life of a vehicle,” said John Treanor, spokesperson with AAA Northern California. “A pre-trip inspection can give drivers extra peace of mind before a road trip.”

AAA Northern California recommends drivers receive or conduct a pre-trip inspection that:

Thoroughly inspect battery cables, clamps, and terminals for cracks or signs of corrosion.

Inspects belts and hoses for cracks, bulges and excessive wear.

Ensures tires are inflated to their recommended pressure and assess for bulges and uneven tread wear.

When approaching an incident where tow providers, police, firefighters or emergency medical service crews are working at the roadside AAA reminds motorists to slow down and move over. Move Over laws require motorists to move over one lane or slow down when safe to do so.

To protect those working or experiencing a roadside emergency this Labor Day weekend, AAA Northern California encourages drivers to:

Stay fully alert and avoid distractions while driving.

Exercise heightened caution when encountering emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles are on the roadside.

Slow down or move over a lane from people and vehicles stranded on the side of the road.

“Many drivers do not fully grasp the danger faced by those working or stranded on roads and highways,” said Treanor. “If you see something, anything, on the shoulder ahead, slow down and move over, every vehicle, every time.”