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BCAA's gravity-defying 'guardian angel' reminds motorists to prepare for winter driving
BURNABY, BC, Dec. 5, 2012, 2012 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) --
On December 5(th) (11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.), in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery located
downtown on Robson Street, Vancouverites will experience one of the
British Columbia Automobile Association's (BCAA) 'guardian angels' like
they've never seen before floating 16 feet overhead, wings and all.
Each year during winter months, BCAA's Road Assist division braces for
an increase in calls from all over the province for roadside
assistance. This year, the organization is making dramatic efforts to
encourage motorists to prepare for winter driving conditions in order
to avoid a vehicle breakdown and more importantly ensure their safety
and the safety of other road users.
According to BCAA, the organization typically receives an average of
2,000 roadside assistance calls a day. When harsh winter weather hits,
the number of calls for roadside assistance can increase by more than
25 per cent. In the Metro Vancouver area, roadside assistance call
volumes during snowy or frigid weather can double.
To promote its renowned roadside assistance service and other membership
benefits, BCAA is creating an eye-catching 'guardian angel' illusion
that will result in a "how did they do that " reaction from those who
witness it. With the Vancouver Art Gallery as the backdrop and
purposefully made 'snow' swirling about, a BCAA 'guardian angel'
wearing giant white wings and the organization's well-recognized
roadside assistance uniform will be 'hovering' over Robson Street. The
airborne 'angel' is there to spread holiday cheer and help BCAA share
the message about the importance of winter driving preparedness.
"Whether you're unable to unlock your car, start your car, or need to be
recovered from a snow bank, our roadside assistance technicians see
first-hand how distressing winter-related breakdowns can be for our
Members," says BCAA's Associate Vice President of Road Assist, Ken
Cousin. "Our event is not meant to be simply entertaining, we want to
encourage motorists to prepare for winter driving. Motorists need to
appreciate that wet or freezing conditions place added stress on a
vehicle, and can trigger a malfunction or breakdown at the most
inopportune time, or worse contribute to an accident."
To help motorists prepare themselves and the vehicles they drive for
winter, BCAA's expert roadside assistant technicians recommend the
following:
Prepare your vehicle. Take your vehicle to an automotive professional for a complete vehicle
check-up long before cold weather settles in. Ensure tires are properly inflated. Use high-quality winter tires, all
four the same. Test your battery and replace if necessary.
Carry emergency items. General emergency and first-aid kits, warm clothes, blanket, winter
boots and gloves, fully charged mobile phone and phone charger,
windshield scraper, snow brush, shovel and spare container of
winter-grade washer fluid.
Manage your journey and be prepared for an emergency. Check for the latest weather information and allow extra travel time. If
you're planning on driving over snow-bound mountain passes, purchase
correctly sized tire chains, and practice installing them at home,
rather than at the roadside.
Visit bcaa.com/guardianangel to find a full list of winter vehicle maintenance and driving tips that
will help you reduce the risk of a vehicle breakdown and other
inconveniences. BCAA is also a part of the Winter Driving Safety
Alliance and is participating in the "Shift Into Winter" campaign.
At the "Guardian Angel" event, BCAA is also sharing other ways its
Membership is like a 'guardian angel' such as the assistance and
savings provided by BCAA's insurance and trip planning services. People
attending the event will also be given a chance to win one of 25 free,
one-year BCAA Basic Memberships.
About BCAA
BCAA is the largest organization of its kind in B.C., with over 105
years of experience and gross annual sales of nearly $400 million from
its membership, insurance and travel businesses. A BCAA Membership can
be found in the wallets of over 800,000 British Columbians and in
one-in-four B.C. households. For the third year in 2012, BCAA received
the highest score in Western Canada for home insurance customer
satisfaction in a J.D. Power and Associates study. To learn more about
BCAA's products, services and member advocacy, visit www.bcaa.com. For
more information on the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation visit www.tsf-bcaa.com.
Video with caption: "Video: Cameras followed a BCAA "Guardian Angel"--a real BCAA roadside assistance technician--for a day and captured the reactions of unsuspecting Members as he provided assistance wearing giant 'angel wings'.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi file=20121205_C6315_VIDEO_EN_21565.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20121205_C6315_PHOTO_EN_21565.jpg&clientName=British%20Columbia%20Automobile%20Association&caption=Video%3A%20Cameras%20followed%20a%20BCAA%20%22Guardian%20Angel%22%2D%2Da%20real%20BCAA%20roadside%20assistance%20technician%2D%2Dfor%20a%20day%20and%20captured%20the%20reactions%20of%20unsuspecting%20Members%20as%20he%20provided%20assistance%20wearing%20giant%20%27angel%20wings%27%2E&title=Video%3A%20BCAA%20%22Guardian%20Angel%22&headline=BCAA%27s%20gravity%2Ddefying%20%27guardian%20angel%27%20reminds%20motorists%20to%20prepare%20for%20winter%20driving
Video with caption: "Video: BCAA Guardian Angel illusion in downtown Vancouver to help
promote safe winter driving.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi file=20121205_C6315_VIDEO_EN_21615.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20121205_C6315_PHOTO_EN_21615.jpg&clientName=British%20Columbia%20Automobile%20Association&caption=Video%3A%20BCAA%20Guardian%20Angel%20illusion%20in%20downtown%20Vancouver%20to%20help%0D%0Apromote%20safe%20winter%20driving%2E&title=BRITISH%20COLUMBIA%20AUTOMOBILE%20ASSOCIATION%20%2D%20BCAA%27s%20gravity%2Ddefying%20%27guardian%20angel%27%20reminds%20motorists%20to%20prepare%20for%20winter%20driving&headline=BCAA%27s%20gravity%2Ddefying%20%27guardian%20angel%27%20reminds%20motorists%20to%20prepare%20for%20winter%20driving
Image with caption: "BCAA Guardian Angel illusion to help promote safe winter driving. The BCAA Guardian Angel is floating 16 feet in the air. (CNW Group/British Columbia Automobile Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121205_C6315_PHOTO_EN_21613.jpg
SOURCE: British Columbia Automobile Association
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2012/05/c6315.html
SOURCE: British Columbia Automobile Association
SOURCE: BCAA
SOURCE: CNW Enriched News Releases
Editor's notes: For further information, or to request an interview, please contact:
Niela Melanio BCAA Public Affairs and Media Specialist Office: 604-268-5342 Cell:
778-228-8859 Email:niela.melanio@bcaa.com
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UPDATED 8:26 PM EST - Dec 20, 2013
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