Crews attend nearly 4,000 breakdowns amid cold snap

The Automobile Association (AA) said today that its patrols attended nearly 4,000 breakdowns last week from motorists stranded in bitterly cold conditions, a 30% increase on the previous week.

Call-outs in Dublin alone accounted for three-quarters of total breakdown calls, the AA said.

The busiest day for AA crews was Monday, November 29, when the organisation received breakdown calls every 30 seconds during the morning rush-hour.

Flat batteries were among the biggest problems for drivers.

“When temperatures plummet below freezing, most batteries will only function at about 50% of their normal power,” says Noel Keogh, Head of AA Rescue.

“If you have a weak battery chances are it’ll pack up on you altogether when it’s freezing out.”

AA Patrols also continue to deal with numerous cases of blown ignition fuses, flooded engines, frozen rear brakes, frozen or broken windscreen wipers, frozen locks and cars that were “just plain stuck in the snow”, the organisation said.