AAA had its hands full this week, helping 6,000 stranded drivers in Oklahoma, 30 percent more than the same time last year.
Persistent, below-freezing temperatures were to blame, sapping juice from batteries and air from tires.
AAA Oklahoma's Mark Madeja said with daytime temperatures above freezing, now is a good time to get those parts checked out.
"Batteries are the bugaboo, always, and then tire pressure — people want to make sure that their tires are properly inflated, because that changes as the temperature drops," Madeja said.
If your car is sitting in sub-freezing temperatures, turn it on and let it idle for 30 seconds every day you aren’t driving it to keep the battery charged and engine fluids moving.
"A battery uses a tremendous amount of energy starting a car. It loses 35 percent of its effectiveness when temperatures hit the freezing mark, and when they're hovering around 0 [degrees], the battery loses 60 percent of its effectiveness," Madeja said.
It's also a good time to put together a winter roadside emergency kit if you haven't already.
"You don't realize how much you want and need something like that until you don't have it. So, take an old blanket that you don't use, an old coat. Throw those things in the trunk, just to be on the safe side," Madeja said.
A flashlight, phone charger, jumper cables, bottled water, snacks and winter tools like ice scrapers and a shovel are also good items.
