Drivers needing tow face days-long wait as AMA deals with thousands of calls across Alberta

Wait times for roadside help from the Alberta Motor Association continued to grow on Friday as a deep freeze affecting the entire province lengthened.

At 1 p.m., the estimated wait time for a tow in Edmonton according to the AMA website was 144 hours, up from 121 hours where it sat at 10 a.m.

Over that same time period, the wait time for a battery boost, lockout, flat tire, or fuel delivery increased from 47 hours to 72 hours.

In Calgary, both services had a 67-hour wait time.

"It's just from the extreme call volume that we're experiencing," automotive services supervisor Brandon Klassen in Edmonton said.

"It's all hands on deck for us and we have every available resource working for us right now."

Klassen told CTV News Edmonton the majority of calls are cold weather starts.

From Tuesday to Thursday, AMA received 10,000 calls for help across Alberta.

The company is prioritizing customers who are in unsafe conditions, but says there is little else to do to speed up queues beyond encouraging preventative care.

"All of our staff are in on overtime hours. Extended hours. All of our service providers and contractors are currently out working as well," Klassen said.

"Again, it's all preventative. So if you can plug your car in, you may not need to call us."

He also recommends drivers use synthetic oil, which doesn't thicken in cold weather like conventional oil, exercise caution around roadside workers, and get their battery tested. Vehicle batteries in Alberta typically last three to five years, he said.

"If you do plan on going out on the roads, try to plan for the journey, not only the destination. So making sure you have an emergency roadside kit in your car with things like a warm blanket, gloves, extra things to make sure you do get stranded on the side of the road. And sometimes it's not about you getting stranded, but another accident stranding you, so getting stuck on the side of the highway, waiting for a highway to open."

While 10,000 calls for service over three days may seem high, AMA said it is not the highest call volume it has seen. During one 24-hour period in February 2019, AMA received 17,600 calls. The next highest was in January 2020, when AMA counted 16,000 calls in 24 hours.

In Edmonton, officials are also warning people not to leave humans or pets in vehicles.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services says it has responded to 11 calls involving people or pets left in unattended vehicles since Jan. 1.

Seven of those calls took place between Sunday and Thursday. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Adel Ahmed