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

EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs
BYD Atto 3 - front cornering

EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs

Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data
News
8 May 2025
New BMW 1 Series and electric i1 to target younger drivers with bold design
BMW 1 Series render - front

New BMW 1 Series and electric i1 to target younger drivers with bold design

The BMW 1 Series is set for a shake-up, with a Neue Klasse front end and a choice of hybrid or battery electric powertrains when it arrives in showroo…
News
7 May 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Volvo XC60 Black Edition is a mean-looking, posh SUV for under £450 a month
Volvo XC60 - full front

Car Deal of the Day: Volvo XC60 Black Edition is a mean-looking, posh SUV for under £450 a month

The XC60 is Volvo’s best-selling car, and loved by Brits. It’s our Deal of the Day for 6 May
News
6 May 2025