The current freezing temperatures have taken a toll on more than just the cost of our heating oil bills.

It’s also contributed to a rash of dead car batteries, flat tires and other inconveniences such as lockouts and vehicles having to be towed.

The arcticlike conditions have resulted in a huge spike in customer service at the AAA Schuylkill County in Pottsville, where CEO Bob Wachter said the motor club has handled “a lot more calls than usual.”

“It’s just this cold weather, and unfortunately, we’re getting hit with a lot of requests for jump-starts, flat tires, lockouts,” Wachter said. “They’re always big right now.”

Wachter said that because of the cold weather, tires tend to go flat a lot quicker.

He said there are a lot of older cars on the streets that require the need for jump-starts.

Wachter said they’ve also taken a good deal of calls for people having locked their keys in their car by mistake.

At all times, but especially at this time of year, Wachter said it’s important for motorists to drive safely.

“We’re always concerned about people being more careful with their driving techniques,” he said.

It’s been much the same in the Lehigh Valley area, where jump-starts, towing, flat tires and lockouts have resulted in a greater volume than normal, according to Theresa K. Podguski, director of legislative affairs, AAA East Central, Allentown.

“The volume has definitely been up versus what we’ve had in recent years,” Podguski said, noting that it’s important for people to check their antifreeze and windshield washer fluid before heading out on the road.

“We had the holiday where people may have left their vehicle sit for a period of time,” she said. “We had an increase Tuesday when people started to go back to school and work.”

Podguski said it’s important not to drive too fast for the road conditions, adding that one of the biggest misconceptions is that people think roads are wet when they are actually ice.

Auto part dealers, such as Advance Auto Parts in Lehighton, have also experienced a swell in customer service as well, according to Pamela Shoenberger, commercial parts pro.

“I believe on Tuesday we did 25 battery installs (due to) the cold weather,” Shoenberger said. “We’re actually averaging 10 to 15 a day; even if we’re not doing the installs here, a lot of people are bringing their batteries in and getting new ones.”

Shoenberger said a lot of customers have been coming in with busted wiper blades because they’re frozen to the windshield, as well as for a lot of diesel additives.

Preventive maintenance is the key, Shoenberger said.

“You are going to have the battery that goes dead in the cold weather,” she said. “But have them tested; try to keep up with them before the weather gets bad is a good way to start.”