May is sweet. The sun is warm but not brutal. The flowers are actually blooming, not just pretending. And for the first time all year, you roll down your windows instead of blasting the heat.

But here at American Roadside Specialist, May is also the month of preventable disasters.

Why? Because everyone suddenly remembers they own a car. And that car has been sitting in the garage since January, surviving on spite and old gas. Now you’re asking it to haul four adults, a cooler, a suitcase, and your mother-in-law across three state lines for a graduation party.

Spoiler: Your car is not ready.

Here are the three most bizarre (and common) May breakdowns we see every single year — plus what to check before you hit the road for Memorial Day.

1. The “Last-Minute Tire Meltdown”

May is the month of impulse road trips. You wake up on Saturday morning; it’s 72 degrees, and you decide to drive four hours to the lake. You check your oil (maybe). You check your gas (probably). You do not check your tire pressure.

But here’s the problem: your tires were properly inflated for 30-degree February weather. Now it’s 85 degrees, the pavement is hot, and the air inside your tires has expanded. You’re now driving on overinflated balls.

The Result: A blowout at 75 mph in the middle of nowhere on a holiday weekend when every tow truck within 50 miles is already busy.

The Specialist Tip: Check your tire pressure when it’s cold (before you drive that morning). Inflate to what’s listed on the sticker inside your driver’s door, not what’s written on the tire’s sidewall. And for the love of asphalt, check your spare tire.

2. The “Graduation Car Overpack”

Every May, we get calls from families whose car simply… refuses to move. They packed the trunk like they were fleeing a natural disaster. Coolers, chairs, gifts, a small barbecue. The rear suspension is bottomed out. The headlights are pointing at the sky.

Then they hit a speed bump in a parking lot, and something breaks. Usually a coil spring. Sometimes a tire rubs against the wheel well.

The Result: You’re stuck in a Party City parking lot at 6 PM on a Friday with a trunk full of watermelon and a car that’s listing to one side like a sinking ship.

The Specialist Tip: If your car looks like it’s squatting in the back, you’re overloaded. Check your owner’s manual for the maximum cargo weight. Yes, that includes the cooler and the cousin who refused to ride in the second car.

3. The “I Forgot How To Drive” Phenomenon

Here’s the weird one. After months of driving only to the grocery store and back in gray, rainy conditions, people suddenly drive like it’s the Indy 500. Windows down. Music up. Confidence is high.

And that’s exactly when they run out of gas. Or lock their keys in the trunk while unpacking at the rest stop. Or pull over to take a photo of a scenic overlook and sink into the mud.

The Result: Embarrassing but very real. We get calls every May for things that have nothing to do with mechanical failure and everything to do with “I wasn’t thinking.”

The Specialist Tip: Just because it’s sunny doesn’t mean your brain is working. Do a mental pre-flight check before every long drive: keys in hand? gas above a quarter tank? Is the phone charged? Is the phone number for American Roadside Specialist saved?

Your May Roadside Survival Checklist

Before you leave for Mother’s Day brunch, your niece’s graduation, or that three-day weekend at the beach, do these four things. They take ten minutes total.

1. Check your coolant. May heat is real. If your coolant reservoir is empty or low, you will overheat in stop-and-go holiday traffic. Top it off with a 50/50 mix.

2. Test your AC now. Don’t wait until you’re sweating on the interstate. If it’s blowing warm air, you likely need a recharge. We’ve seen people pull over thinking their engine is on fire when it’s just the smell of hot dust from the vents.

3. Clean your windshield inside and out. May means bugs. Millions of them. And low afternoon sun turns a smeared windshield into a blinding mess. Use glass cleaner, not spit.

4. Program our number into every family member’s phone. Seriously. If you’re stranded and your phone dies, you want your passenger to be able to call. Our number: 770-334-1245