Why Southern Drivers Should Have Roadside Assistance This Winter

Be prepared for more snow and ice this winter.

In early January of this year, The Weather Channel released their three month outlook for winter weather. The outlook shows that El Nino, a weather pattern that is influenced by ocean temperatures, will be in effect over North America for the remainder of the winter weather months. What this means is that areas in the southern states of America that don’t usually get a lot of snow or precipitation during the winter will likely see more snow, ice and sleet, while their northern and western counterparts will see somewhat less snow and slightly warmer temperatures than normal. This prediction is already turning out to be true as winter storm Jonas sweeps across the southern and eastern  portions of the United States this month.

 

Perhaps nothing is quite so affected by inclement weather as our ability to travel. Driving can become treacherous and sometimes impossible during snow storms, while air travel and some train travel is completely grounded or canceled. For many people, flight and train cancellations means they must take a chance and drive in bad weather to get where they need to be. While we don’t recommend that anyone drive a car in a situation that isn’t safe, we do know that sometimes you simply don’t have a choice but to get behind the wheel.

 

In these cases, and for anyone who regularly deals with inclement weather while driving, a roadside assistance plan is an absolute must. And for those who live in areas that are normally not affected by winter weather, consider adding a roadside assistance plan to your vehicle or to an individual driver in your family as El Nino continues to threaten the south with cold, snowy weather.

 

Roadside assistance companies provide emergency assistance when your vehicle experiences issues. Whether you get a flat tire, run out of gas or other fluids, lock your keys in your car or even if you skid off the road and into a ditch – a roadside service company can provide mechanical help or a tow truck to get you and your vehicle to a safe place. Most roadside service companies have providers across their areas of coverage so that a tow truck, mechanic or locksmith can get to you quickly. But of course, some companies provide better coverage and quicker responses than others. Best Roadside Service, for instance, has over 45,000 service providers across America and Canada. This kind of dense coverage gives them an average response time of just 34 minutes. And when you’re sitting on the side of the road in the cold and the snow – that response time becomes critical.

 

Of course, it’s always good to be prepared, even if you do have a roadside assistance plan, in case something does happen. While you’re waiting for a service provider to come and help you, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is stocked with water, an ice scraper, extra blankets, maybe even disposable hand and feet warmers, basic tools, a spare tire, and a flashlight. Additional cold weather vehicle preparation tips can be found on this blog: Cold Weather Auto Maintenance Tips.

 

So this winter, be prepared and don’t rely on your normally warm and sunny location to keep you safe. Winter weather can hit at any time, and thanks to El Nino, in any place in the country. A roadside assistance plan can help keep you, your family safe and warm this winter.