Extreme heat among factors driving spike in calls to CAA
'We've experienced a lot of vehicles overheating on the side of the road,' said Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Const. Michael Fathi.
'We've had a couple that have actually caught on fire.'
CAA says it has seen a 15 per cent increase in calls for service compared to this time last year.
'Most people don't realize in the hot weather is your battery is at risk,' said William Skorupinski, CAA North & East Ontario's vice president of automotive and mobility services.
'It's sitting underneath the hood, the temperature in your hood is increasing so it actually cooks the battery.'
Skorupinski attributes the spike in service requests to various factors including the hot weather, an increase in people travelling within Canada this summer and older vehicles being driven for longer.
Fathi says regular vehicle maintenance is key to help prevent a breakdown once you're on the road.
'One of the things you want to do is make sure that your fluids are all topped up in your vehicle, do the regular maintenance, have an emergency preparedness kit with you. You can purchase those in stores,' he said.
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