Skip advert
Advertisement

The AA’s craziest callouts of 2014

The AA made around three million callouts in 2014 and there were some crazy stories behind the stats

Snakes, raccoons, guinea pigs and toddlers have all been rescued by the AA from locked cars during the past 12 months. 

Motorists called the recovery organisation 2,410 times after they’d inadvertently locked their children in the car, and a further 1,014 times after trapping their pets, too. 

• UK driving licences to display Union Flag

Advertisement - Article continues below

The bizarre requests make up just some of the AA’s three million callouts in 2014 – and Auto Express can exclusively reveal some of the stories behind the statistics.

Mark Spowage, AA patrol of the year, said: “One of the more unusual callouts we get is to release animals accidentally locked in the car or when they do a ‘Houdini’ and escape, often getting stuck behind the dash. We’ve had everything – although they’re not always grateful when we get them out.”

Baby in car seat

Mondays were the busiest day of the year, with an average of more than 1,000 extra cases per day. The busiest day of the year was Monday 24 November, where the AA dealt with 14,501 breakdown cases. That’s up from the 2014 daily average of 9,337.

Breathalyser test finds DIY kit results worryingly erratic

The longest recovery in 2014 took an AA van on a 615-mile trip from Morden, South London to Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Mark added: “Although a breakdown is inconvenient, it makes the job worthwhile when we help people on their way.”

2014 AA callouts in numbers

2,410 have locked child in a car1,014 have locked a pet in car40,072 incidents of misfuelling615 miles longest recovery

• UK councils given £6 billion to fix potholes

AA’s Five MOST common callout issues in 2014

Our table shows the problems patrols most regularly had to sort this year...

Reason for calloutNo. of callouts
Batteries 427,586 
Tyres  373,746
Lights 131,527  
Alternator  106,857
Clutch 103,229

Have you ever called out the AA for a less than routine reason? Tell us all about it in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

MG Cyber X will morph into a mini-Mercedes within two years
MG Cyber X design render - front

MG Cyber X will morph into a mini-Mercedes within two years

Boxy small SUV is gearing up for production, and our exclusive images show how the model might look
News
30 Aug 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Ford Puma Gen-E granted ultra-low £132 monthly lease
Ford Puma Gen-E - front action

Car Deal of the Day: Ford Puma Gen-E granted ultra-low £132 monthly lease

The EV grant has made the Ford Puma Gen-E a lot cheaper, and lease customers can cash-in with today’s Deal of the Day
News
29 Aug 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Racy and retro Renault 5 for only £188 a month
Renault 5 - front full width

Car Deal of the Day: Racy and retro Renault 5 for only £188 a month

The Renault 5 is taking the market by storm – and at this price it’s easy to see why. It’s our Deal of the Day for August 30
News
30 Aug 2025