How to Prevent Car Dents During Winter

Some people get excited for winter weather, but believe it or not, colder weather means your car is more susceptible to damage. When the temperatures drop, the metal of your car exterior contracts, making it more prone to damage and making existing dents even harder to repair.

Snow and ice alone can damage your car over time and leave scratches, rust, and minor dings and dents. Aside from the environmental causes of damage to your car, snow and ice on the road play a significant role in car accidents during the winter. Even parking lot accidents happen more often with poor weather conditions meaning a higher chance of dents or dings in your exterior.

With winter fast approaching and as the months become colder, here are some things you can do to minimise the risks of car dents this winter season. 

Ways to Protect Your Car During Winter

Before thinking about the ways you can protect and maintain your car this winter, make sure to address any existing damage ahead of time. For example, minor dents and scratches can become more significant and more expensive later down the road.

You should reach out to a car body repair shop to address any dents or damage before winter begins, or as soon as the damage happens. A professional dent expert can effectively remove dents without causing any further damage to your car body.

Car maintenance is something you should do year-round, but it’s especially important to keep it up during the winter months.

Keep Your Car Covered

If possible, try keeping your car in a garage or somewhere covered. If you cannot keep your car in a garage, you can cover it with a durable winter car cover to keep it safe from the elements. Over time, snow and ice can cause scratches, dents, and other damage to your car’s exterior.

Plan Your Day Ahead of Time

Take time before you leave to look at what routes you can take that have main roads that ploughs and salt trucks have likely maintained. You are less likely to be in an accident if you keep off small side roads and less travelled highways. 

Check Your Tires

Checking your tires and ensuring they have good tread and the right amount of air will help prevent you from getting into any accidents. Tread on your tires will grip the roadway to keep you from sliding on icy roads. Tires tend to lose pressure during colder months which can be dangerous for icy and snowy conditions, so be sure to check your tire pressure often throughout winter.

Remove Snow and Ice

De-icing your vehicle thoroughly will remove build-up so you don’t cause any dents when scraping chunks of ice off your car. Try to keep ice off your car and avoid using a shovel if possible to avoid scraping or denting your car’s body. 

Before you start driving, make sure to remove the snow from the roof, hood, and trunk of your vehicle. Large chunks of snow on the roof of your car can fall onto your windscreen, creating blind spots that obstruct your view.

Use Your Fog Lights

Using your fog lights helps other motorists know you’re on the road with them. These lights are designed to be used at lower speeds and illuminate the road better in poor conditions. Ensuring that other drivers see you can help avoid potential accidents.

Manoeuvre Through Skidding

Skidding can feel alarming the moment it happens, but knowing how to manoeuvre through a skid can help you avoid sliding into other cars or pedestrians or bumping into barriers.

Avoid slamming on your brakes, ease into the skid, and slowly decelerate. Then, even if you hit something, you can at least hit it at a lower speed resulting in less of an impact.

Regular Waxing

Wax can help prevent corrosion or damage from salt, gravel, and dirt on the roads. These elements can build up on the underside of your car and cause damage over time. Wax is hydrophobic and repels snow, ice, and rain, meaning you have less damage to your paint and car body.

Car Body Repairs With Caversham Coachworks 

During colder months, dents and dings can be more challenging to repair. Working with a professional body repair shop can ensure repairs are properly resolved. And having repairs completed in a timely manner can help avoid more severe damage in the future. An experienced dent specialist will keep your car in excellent condition to maintain its value.

At Caversham Coachworks, we take care of everything from insurance, crash, and car body repairs to dent and scratch repairs. As the leading independent vehicle repair centre in Berkshire and Central Oxfordshire, we promise exceptional service and quality work. 
Contact us today for an estimate, or use our free and easy estimator tool.