Tarrant County Sheriff crews monitor roadways as North Texans travel for the holidays

Tarrant County (CBSDFW.COM) – Thousands of North Texans are visiting friends and family this weekend for Christmas, but the cold weather is causing car problems.

Drivers of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Courteous Patrol have been very busy on Friday, helping people stranded on the side of the road.

“We are here, rain, sleet or snow,” said patrol driver Benjamin Landeros.

A courteous patrol crew watches the highway to keep people safe and keep traffic flowing. They change tires, do jump starts, and clear debris from the road.

“This is what we do here as a polite patrol,” Landeros said. “We love what we do. We serve the public.”

Freezing cold weather can stress your car’s battery and cause your tires to lose pressure.

“People run on low tyres,” Landeros said. “They don’t tend to check them and they get a lot of apartments. I’ve seen a lot of that lately.”

Sironda Warren blamed the Arctic blast for Friday’s tire troubles.

“I was out shopping for Christmas and was driving down the highway and the car popped and I automatically knew something had happened, so I stopped the car,” she said. rice field.

Warren said she stopped crying in the cold thanks to the courteous patrol’s quick response.

“I feel really blessed and confident that I can fix the tires and still be able to drive and keep going,” Warren said.

Respectful patrols know how important it is to respond quickly to drivers stranded in extreme cold.

“We are prioritizing these calls,” Landeros said. “When we get a call about running out of gas, we know this temperature can be dangerous, so we try to respond as quickly as possible.”

He urges people to take steps to take care of their vehicles before hitting the road.

“Get ready,” he said. “Check the air around all your tires and make sure you have enough fuel. You don’t want to be stuck here.”

If you’re traveling in this cold weather, it’s a good idea to have extra clothes and blankets in your car.If you get stuck, you can use them to stay warm while you wait for help. .

If the situation is urgent, drivers should call 9-1-1. For non-urgent matters, you can contact the toll-free patrol at 817-884-1213.