Motorists with a passenger in labour, on their way to the airport, or enroute to hospital were among the most poorly-timed car breakdowns in 2018.
The AA dealt with 1,300 breakdowns where either the driver needed to get to hospital or they were escorting someone who needed treatment.
That number included 21 cases where a passenger was about to give birth.
The AA was called out to almost 1,000 breakdowns involving someone about to travel abroad - 905 of those cases involving someone (driver or passenger) due to catch a flight, with a further 47 breakdowns affecting someone due to take a ferry.
"Car breakdowns are never an enjoyable experience, but in a case of Murphy’s Law you can almost guarantee that they will happen at the most inconvenient time,” AA Director of Consumer Affairs Conor Faughnan said.
“It’s important, particularly during the winter months where some motoring issues such as old or defective batteries can be magnified, that people stay on top of their car maintenance to help reduce the risk of a winter breakdown.”
