Along with colds, flu and chapped lips, winter also has another downside: it’s the most likely time of year you’ll find yourself stranded with a flat car battery.
Exclusive data from Budget Direct Roadside Assistance shows over the past six years the number of call-outs for flat batteries on average increases by 26% during the autumn and winter months.
Last winter nearly half (48%) of all call-outs made to Budget Direct Roadside Assistance were for flat batteries.
According to the Battery Council International, at 27 degrees Celsius a fully charged battery has 100% of its power available, but when the temp drops to freezing that same battery only has two-thirds of its power available. During winter your battery also needs to work harder as oils can thicken, and the chemical reactions needed to fire a battery are affected by the cold.
One of the easiest ways to combat battery blues in winter is to garage your car overnight, but a Budget Direct Roadside Assistance survey* found parking the car indoors is becoming a thing of the past. One-quarter of car owners (25%) never park their car in a garage, and 13% only do so occasionally. Melbournians are the most likely to leave their cars on the street at 37%.
So what are Aussies likely to do if they get a flat battery? A Budget Direct Roadside Assistance survey** found that;
47% of Aussies don’t feel comfortable jump starting their car
66% of people would call for roadside assistance
20% holler for a friend to help out
13% would fix it themselves
If you’re counting on a Good Samaritan to stop and help you might be waiting a while, the same survey found;
Just under half of Australians are unlikely to stop and help someone whose car has broken down (46%)
Males are more likely than females to stop and help (69%).
Older generations are more likely to stop than younger ones (62% of Baby Boomers compared to 43% of Generation Y).
You’re more likely to be helped in rural Australia (62%) than in an urban setting (53%).
To read more go to:
http://www.budgetdirect.com.au/blog/2014/07/roadside_good_samari.html
*Source: McCrindle Research Survey conducted 2013 on behalf of Budget Direct. 1436 respondents aged 18 and over participated from Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
**Source: McCrindle Research Survey conducted 2014 on behalf of Budget Direct. 1072 respondents aged 18 and over participated from all states and territories.