Roadside assistance will be needed more frequently as the Texas summer temperature continues to increase. When assisting stranded drivers, clearing car accidents, and ensuring safety, time is of the essence for Dallas County Courtesy Patrol officer Coda Mosley.
According to Mosely, a typical day is “a lot of flat tires and a lot of gas.” Especially, he said, as motorists have felt pinched at the pump, leaving more running out of gas on the roads.
“It’s gone up. It’s definitely gone up,” Mosely said. “I guess because of the prices, we’ve seen a lot of people running out of gas.”
The number of calls for stuck vehicles because they ran out of fuel increased by almost 20 percent throughout the last couple of months, with Dallas County reporting that the number of calls rose from 285 in April to 353 in May. This figure increased once more in June, reaching more than 360.
In the middle of the day on Wednesday, the Dallas County Courtesy Patrol responded to multiple calls from drivers with empty tanks, including Diamond Nicholson.
“I was expecting to make it to the gas station, and I didn’t,” said Nicholson.
She was just an exit away as she sat stranded along the shoulder of Central Expressway with her baby in triple-digit heat.
Nicholson was able to make it to a location where she could refuel because Mosley helped her out by giving her a gallon of gas.
According to Mosley, it is more critical than ever to keep an eye on the fuel level in the tank and ensure it does not drop too low. The forecast calls for temperatures to continue to linger around dangerously high levels.
“I mean, my best bet is to tell you not to run out,” he said.
But if someone does become stranded, he advises them to remain in the vehicle while keeping the windows down and wearing their seatbelts. And, he assures, assistance is on its way.
“We do make sure that we don’t mess around. We get to where we need to get them off the side of the road and to someplace safe,” said Mosley.
Call the Dallas County Courtesy Patrol at the number 214-320-4444 if you need assistance in Dallas County. Calling the number printed on the backside of a driver’s license can connect you to roadside help no matter where you are.