WINNIPEG – CAA Manitoba says the cold killed cars across the province this morning, resulting in flooded phone lines that commuters called in search of a boost. Numbers released by the non-profit association today show wait times were between 45 minutes and an hour and a half.

Normally their call centre averages around 350 service calls every day during the winter. This week the number has been over 1,100 – many of those in response to a dead battery.

According to CAA, the most important thing you can do right now to make sure you can start your vehicle in the morning is to plug it in. The advocacy organization also recommends checking tire pressure, to help ensure control on icy roads, as well as fluid levels, and getting a road safety kit packed with survival supplies.