SMYRNA, Ga. – To AAA, Labor Day is a busy time for service calls – and an especially busy time for dead batteries.
“We want motorists to be prepared if their battery fails this Labor Day weekend. It’s a busy holiday for motorists and extremely hot—the heat alone can have a negative impact on battery life,” Jay Bolster, senior manager of AAA Battery Service Operations, said in a news release. “Traditionally, car batteries last an average of 37 to 40 months in a hot climate, but now the average life of a battery can be as little as two years because of the massive amount of power required by the average ‘modern’ car and driver.”
Between 2008 and 2009, AAA saw a 40 percent increase in the number of dead battery calls during the Labor Day weekend – from 640 in Georgia in 2008 to 893 in 2009. Nationwide, AAA technicians responded to more than 7,800 calls from motorists reporting battery issues during Labor Day 2010, down from 6,900 the previous holiday weekend.
“The basic car battery has not changed in more than 30 years, but cars have,” said Bolster. “Make sure you know how to change the battery in your own vehicle and take your time with it because it isn’t always as easy to get at your car battery in today’s modern cars.”
