Category Archives: Summer Driving

Driving Around on Canada Day

Canada DayPhoto by Shahnoor Habib Munmun – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9389910

It’s almost time to celebrate Canada Day and enjoy the long weekend. There’s a lot of festivities happening in Winnipeg such as taking part of Canada’s largest living map at Shaw Park, the Osborne Village Street Celebration and fireworks at Assiniboine Park, just to name a few.

Wherever your destination is this Canada Day, keep in mind that this is one of the heaviest weekends for driving.

To avoid heavy traffic and parking at Assiniboine Park, Canad Inns is offering a Park N’ Ride until midnight. Just park your vehicle near Canadian Mennonite University, Asper Jewish Community Campus, Seasons of Tuxedo, St. Paul’s High School or Shaftesbury High School and ride Winnipeg Transit to the Park. Winnipeg Transit also has a free shuttle linking the Forks and Osborne Village. There will also be extra late night service scheduled for after the fireworks.

If you are headed to the beach or cottage and are driving longer distances, ensure that you’ve checked your vehicle so that it is ready for the drive. To keep the kids occupied and less chance of distractions while you are driving, have plenty of activities and snacks on hand to keep them busy. It’s important to plan ahead to make sure that your family arrives to and from your celebration points safely.

Have a safe and Happy Canada Day from all of us at Dr. Hook Towing!

Pothole Season Continues – Be On the Lookout!

A few months ago, a witty Winnipegger took advantage of the hype around a sinkhole in our city and created a Twitter account that at first was meant to entertain, but since has served a useful purpose.

The account is @Wpg_Sinkhole, and very quickly gained some traction. While it currently sits at 342 followers (certainly nothing to sneeze at), the account has become less about joking about the contents of a sinkhole in our fair city and moreso providing alerts.

Witness, for example, the following Vine that came from CBC reporter Jill Coubrough, that was later re-Tweeted by the Sinkhole:

There is reason why we talk about Twitter in this blog – part of staying safe on the road is being aware of issues you may face while driving. While the majority of potholes were filled earlier this year, there continue to be issues all across Winnipeg, some which you may not see until it’s too late.

The simplest way to prepare yourself for travels on Winnipeg streets and away from needing Roadside Assistance is, simply put, to stay informed. Consider adding social media accounts like the aforementioned Sinkhole Twitter profile to keep alert, and follow news and City of Winnipeg bulletins on any roadwork that has or soon will be commencing.

Stay safe Winnipeg!

Watch The Road, not the Phone

Part of driving in the modern era, or doing anything for that matter, is avoiding the temptation to look at your cell phone.

Whether you’re using it to stream music to your car speakers via Bluetooth, answering calls on speaker or using a map app to find our way to our destination.

Now all of these uses are, to an extent, practical and even necessary for travel in the summer; but having said that, the distracted driving factor isn’t worth the risk of having your phone open beside you.

Wherever possible, have a navigator with you who can handle your phone responsibilities. Yes, it’s hard to cut the virtual chord and we’ll eternally joke about backseat drivers, but we have with our cells but its so pertinent that you are properly driving with your eyes ahead on the action that lies ahead.

At the same time, don’t become dependent on others to guide you – if you’re worried about your ride mate falling asleep during your travels, be sure to have proper apps in place. Make sure your GPS has speech capabilities, that your music app is set with all of your playlists, and for your own sanity put your phone on ‘airplane’ mode. We know it’s hard to ignore the beep of a text or an incoming mail, so best is to completely shut off communication streams – it can wait.

Enjoy the summer weekend and drive responsibly.

What Does Roadside Assistance From Dr. Hook Do For You?

We never plan to need roadside assistance – we just have it for when we need it.

But do you know what your Roadside Assistance with Dr. Hook Towing covers? It’s a lot more than you probably think:

Fix that Flat – More common than you think, a flat tire can put a damper on your day or weekend. But don’t panic! A call to Dr. Hook will be all you need to get back on the road.

Running on Empty -We all do it – the gas light pops up brightly on our dashboad and we say to ourselves , “I’ve got plenty left in the tank – I can wait to fill up.” Maybe we’re desensitized to that light too much. If you find yourself in a gasless bind though, Dr. Hook can help.

Key Retrieval – This one is one we’ve all done, but will never admit to (especially to our kids) – locking your keys in the ignition or sitting on your driver seat happens. A quick call to Dr. Hook (as long as you didn’t lock your cell in your car also…) is a simple solution to getting your key back from the worries of your sealed car.

Along with these services, we can also help you with battery troubles, but more often that is associated with cold weather, and we don’t want to think about that just yet.

For more information on Dr. Hook’s Roadside Assistance, click here.

Enjoy the Long Weekend but Drive Responsibly

With Canada Day’s long weekend upon us, there’s going to be a lot of traffic both within Winnipeg and heading out to cottage country.

Whether you’re heading north to the Interlake or east to Seven Sisters, converging at The Forks or Kildonan Park, you’re bound to enjoy not only your destination point, but the travel as well. There’s something about the long weekend that relaxes us in a way that just can’t be explained.

With this in mind, however, it is important to caution that this is one of the heaviest weekends for driving. Roads will be congested, and its important to have your head on your shoulders. As much as we will at times joke about bad Winnipeg drivers, there is a touch of reality – not everyone uses turn signals, not everyone has their eyes focused on the path in front of them.

To ensure your family arrives to and from your celebration points safely, and doesn’t have to call us for a tow, please take the following precautions:

1. Don’t drink and drive – We can’t emphasize this one enough. With hotter conditions and potential rainfall, impaired driving becomes even more dangerous. Even if you think you’re below the legal limit, don’t get behind the wheel or plan in advance to have someone be your designated driver.

2. Watch out for cyclists – Bicycles are out in droves now and there will be even more this weekend, especially if weather is optimal. This includes on residential roads, main streets and highways. Be cautious and share the road.

3. Distribute before you drive – What distracts you most while driving? It’s actually your kids (check out this story from ABC). Make sure they have their food and drinks beside them before you head on the road so you’re not passing back and forth while driving.

From all of us at Dr. Hook, Happy Canada Day!

Tow Your Camper With Caution

Ahh the serenity of summer. Nothing like a trip up Manitoba’s highways with a portion of home tugging behind.

Yes friends, it’s camper season. Our mini mobile homes are ready to get hitched up and tugged to your camp site for another summer of usage.

Of course, the last thing anyone wants is for an accident to strike. As much as it might be satirized in Hollywood, a detached camper that separates  from your car or truck mid-haul is a major hazard on the road. Imagine, for example, getting detached on Highway 8 on one of the long stretches of one-lane road. Definitely something to avoid.

So before you load up and hitch up, keep these pieces of advice in mind:

1. Know Your Capacity – not all cars are created equal. There may be weight restrictions on how much your car can tow.

2. Know Your Hitch – Having a stabalizing bar as part of your hitch-up will help you avoid swaying. If you’re like many of us and have tossed the owner’s manual a long time ago, do a quick Google search for it to know what hitch will work best for your car or truck.

And if the worst happens, know that Dr. Hook is just a phone call away. Keep our toll-free number – 1-800-561-4665 – in your contacts list just in case you run into trouble.