Imagine a foggy winter day, and you’re driving down the road at what you think is a safe speed. The roads look clear and you’re going the speed limit, but then out of nowhere you don’t have any traction under your tires and you and your car start to slide. You’ve likely hit a patch of black ice. If you can’t safely stop, you may end up in an accident in which you need to find an auto body shop near me afterward. How do you know what to look for when making the decision of where to repair your car at?
Ask questions
When searching for an “auto body shop near me” to repair your car, be sure to find out all the necessary information regarding the work they will do.
- What kind of warranty comes with the repair work?
- How long will the warranty last and what will it cover?
- How long will the auto repair take?
- This will depend on the extent of the damage and if the auto body shop has the parts needed to repair the damage
- Does the auto body shop offer rental cars or loaner vehicles?
- If you are going to be without a car for an extended amount of time, you may want to ask if the shop has a rental facility on or near the property so that they will arrange a rental for you.
- Is your car covered while it’s in the shop?
- Does the auto body shop carry fire and theft insurance in case your car is damaged, destroyed, stolen, or burglarized while it’s in the shop?
- What is the payment policy?
- Payment policies may include rates of labor, cost of materials, warranty information, guarantees, and forms of payment they accept. Be sure to know all this information before having them repair your car
Seek out recommendations
You may find several advertisements for a few big companies, but those are not always your best option. You may find a small business that your friends and family recommend that will do a better-quality job. Small auto shop businesses tend to care more about their customers because they have a smaller clientele, and the owner may even be the one working on your car personally.
The personal experience you receive at auto body shops is just as important as the pricing and time frame of the repair.
Get several estimates
Don’t settle for the first auto shop you find when searching “body shops near me.” If you want to avoid an auto shop overcharging you for a repair, it’s smart to take your car to a few different shops to get a quote from each one.
You should not necessarily go for the cheapest one either. If an auto shop gives you a super cheap quote compared to the other shops, that may be a red flag that they are not going to fix it correctly. Be willing to spend money on the repair but not necessarily spend the most.
Consider the location of the auto body shop near me
If you live in a bigger city, chances are when you look for “auto body shops near me,” you will find the big chain auto body shops that will charge more per hour for labor, which can really rack up your total cost. If you want to avoid a higher labor cost, you can find a shop that is a little bit outside of your city or a smaller business auto body shop.
Now that you know how to find an auto body shop near me, you should know how to stay safe on the icy roads this winter.
How to avoid collisions on icy roads
Reduce your speed
Speed limits are created for the safety of everyone on the road, taking into account curves in the road and the type of area the road runs in; however, it does not take into account weather. It’s always smart to drive slower than the speed limit if you are in rainy, snowy, or potentially icy road conditions. Driving at a high speed is the most dangerous thing you can do when driving on wet or icy roads. Even if you are unaware that the road is icy, there could be black ice, so just be conscientious of it. Slowing your speed and being careful of dangerous road conditions can prevent accidents.
Avoid icy roads
If you are on the road following a storm, be sure to pay attention to if the road appears dry and not icy, or if it still appears that it may be iced over. If you don’t need to drive, try to avoid it after a storm, but if it’s unavoidable, be sure to stay on roads you know the road plows would clean up well after a storm.
Wear your seatbelt
If you do happen to slide on ice, you can very well spin into side railings, signs, cement barriers, or even other cars. Keep yourself as safe as possible by wearing your seatbelt, so if you are in an accident, there is a lower chance of you getting injured.
Avoid hills and other dangerous roads
If you drive on an icy hill, gravity will win every time. Find an alternate route if you are driving following a storm because the roads may be icy, even if they don’t appear to be.
Keep an extra eye on those around you
If one person hits an ice patch, then it is likely another person will as well. Someone who has hit an ice patch may swerve or break, causing them to lose more control and may result in hitting someone else or someone hitting them. This is why you should be extra careful if you are on the road after a storm. Keep an extra eye out on the people around you and be sure you will know what you can do to avoid a collision.
Turn into the slide
If you fishtail or slide, it usually means you are going too fast. If you do lose control of your car on an icy road, turning into your slide will help your car think this is the direction you are wanting to go. Be sure not to turn your wheel too far, causing you to overcorrect. You will want to reduce your speed and gain control of your vehicle again, then turn the wheel back to the other direction to turn your car forward again.
Release your breaks
The last thing you want to do when you hit an icy patch on the road is hit your brakes; this will cause your car to spin out, and you are less likely to have control over the vehicle’s movements. Stay calm and steady, try to keep your wheels going straight until you can come to a safe stop.
Contact us at East End Body Shop
East End Body Shop in Huntington, West Virginia, offers a variety of services including
mobile claims management, interest-free financing, auto body repair, frame repair, collision repair, auto painting, glass repair, automotive detailing, auto mechanical repair, automotive claims, insurance repair work, and auto body paint.
A lot more goes into finding an auto body shop to repair your car than you may think. So before settling on the first shop you find when searching for an “auto body shop near me,” be sure to take all of the above tips into consideration.
