Snowy winters cause issues for C.O. drivers, also make for busy times for towing companies
Not just crashes: Lockouts also happen as folks leave their cars warming up
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The snowy start to winter has made for more slick roads around Central Oregon. It's also meant busier days for tow truck operators, as they're called out to help more drivers who get into trouble.
On Thursday, one Bend tow truck company responded to three straight accidents in which cars slid and hit sidewalks. Hitting the sidewalk caused the tires to cave in toward the fender.
"Winter is our busiest season, just from people, you know -- careless driving, or just not paying attention to the road conditions," All Seasons Towing & Recovery owner Ramon Altamirano said.
All Seasons reports an uptick in business, due to more snow and ice on the roads.
"We get three times as many calls as we would throughout the rest of the year, so winter is definitely our highest call time," Altamirano said, reporting they get get eight to 15 calls a day.
"Most accidents are going to be picked up at intersections, like four-way stop signs, roundabouts or neighborhoods where they feel confident, and they kind of just forget they're going a little too fast," Altamirano added.
Their busiest times are in the morning and late at night. And it's not just crashes, but lockouts as well.
"A lot of people get locked out of their cars, because they step out to warm their vehicle in the morning. And they go back in to enjoy their coffee or, you know, just get ready for the day. And it's kind of a big surprise, because no one expects to be locked out."
He said he's also seen roll-overs, some pretty big accidents at intersections and rear-end crashes.
Bend native Gina Baltzor had her car towed on Thursday.
"I was heading to work, and I was coming into the roundabout this morning, and it was very slick," Baltzor recalled. "And I was probably doing less than 5 mph. I turned the wheels to the car -- the car did not turn -- I ended up hitting the curb pretty hard."
