As the Chicago area buckles up for several days of high heat and humidity, the Illinois Tollway has launched around-the-clock Hot Weather Patrols to help motorists stranded along area highways.
According to a press release, the trucks will be deployed to rapidly “locate and aid customers” who become stranded as the mercury soars throughout the region.
The Hot Weather Patrols are similar to the Cold Weather Patrols the agency deploys when temperatures plunge during the winter. Patrols do search for vehicles, but also respond to calls made to *999 by motorists experiencing car trouble during extreme weather conditions.
“We are taking extra steps to protect our customers during this dangerously hot weather by adding additional road patrols to help us quickly find and help any drivers stranded along our roads,” Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez said in a statement. “Launching these patrols is part of our commitment to safety and ensures drivers whose cars have become disabled can get out of the heat and obtain the assistance they need to reach their destinations.”
The Tollway also offered several tips to help keep motorists safe during summer weather:
-Cell phone users should call *999 for roadside assistance and note the roadway and direction of travel, along with the nearest milepost.
-Stranded motorists should turn on emergency lights and remain with their vehicles until help arrives.
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-Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires are more likely to overheat and more likely to blowout.
-Make sure fluids are at appropriate levels. Most engine fluids lubricate and serve as coolants by helping to carry heat away from critical components, and low fluid levels reduce that cooling effect.
-Keep an emergency kit in your car that includes water, non-perishable food, jumper cables, a flashlight, road flares, basic hand tools, and a first aid kit.
-Give extra distance to stopped vehicles. Drivers are required by state law to slow down and move over when approaching any stopped vehicle that has its hazard lights activated.
