Cold winter weather wreaking havoc on Winnipeg drivers

WINNIPEG — Monday is expected to be the coldest day of the week, with windchill values barely above -30 C. With temperatures sitting well below normal for this time of year, Winnipeggers are getting their first major blast of cold weather.

CAA Manitoba is overwhelmed by calls from drivers in need of a boost. By early Monday morning the organization was receiving more than a call a minute for service.

READ MORE: Deep freeze continues for Manitoba

By around noon the group had completed 300 calls in Manitoba. That’s 50 per cent higher than the same time Sunday. In addition, there were another 250 service calls yet to be dispatched. Again, double what CAA had around the same time Sunday.

“It was all boosts,” said CAA driver James Smith. “I think I had 20 or so calls and it was just boost, after boost, after boost. Unfortunately it takes longer to get there then to actually perform the boost.”

Smith said there are three important things drivers need to know to protect themselves from getting stuck with a dead battery during the winter: maintain your battery, plug your car in and make sure you get a winter mechanical check-up.

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WATCH: CAA driver gives 3 quick tips to avoid a dead battery in Winnipeg’s frigid winter

1:15 CAA driver shows 3 quick tips to avoid a dead battery in Winnipeg’s frigid winter

“Five years is about the life of the battery,” said Smith. “People seem to think if you just boost it it will keep going, but when your battery dies it’s the first sign of a long period of trouble you are going to be in for.”

While not every car needs to be plugged in to survive the frigid temperatures it’s never a bad idea. Smith added drivers should be vigilant about making sure they take their cars in for a tune up ahead of the winter season as well.

“Get it to your mechanic. There is a lot of stuff you just don’t know, you don’t realize,” he said. “Now we can get diagnostics and we can find out all sorts of things you wouldn’t even realize was a problem.”

CAA said the fastest way to get service is to cut out the middleman on the phone and request service online or through the app.