Winter is just around the corner, and the winter weather has already arrived. While there certainly are some positive aspects to this, there are also many negative ones — especially as it pertains to your automobile.

Winter weather can wreak havoc on an automobile in a variety of ways, causing it both short-term and long-term damage. Are you curious as to how winter weather can hurt the body of your automobile? This Westchester auto body repair shop is going to explain below.

1. Icy Conditions Could Cause You to Get into Collisions

The most obvious way that winter weather could cause damage to your vehicle’s body is by spurring on a collision. After all, winter weather is icy, and icy conditions make it difficult to keep control of a vehicle. Collisions are bound to happen.

It’s important to note here that there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of collisions. For one, you can keep plenty of clearance between you and the vehicle in front of you. For two, you can drive a bit slower than you normally would. For three, you can brake slowly, and make sure you’re going a safe speed before turning.

You’ll also want to make sure that your windows are entirely clear of all snow and ice. Failure to do this could impair your vision, which will increase your chances of getting in an accident.

2. Road Salt Could Damage Your Paint

In the Chicagoland area, where it snows frequently, road salt is a necessity. It melts ice on the road, allowing vehicles to maintain plenty of traction as they’re going from place to place.

Unfortunately, however, road salt is far from perfect — in fact, it is fairly corrosive. As such, it’s capable of causing damage to your auto paint.

For this reason, throughout the winter season, it’s important that you wash your car frequently. The more frequently you remove road salt from your vehicle, the less time it will have to damage your paint.

3. Removing Ice Could Scratch Your Paint

If you park your vehicle outside during the winter, it’s likely going to become covered in snow and ice. As a result, you’re going to have to use an ice scraper to clean it up. This works terrifically on the windows. However, if you try to scrape ice off the body of your vehicle, you could easily damage its paint.

The only way to avoid this is to be as careful as possible when scraping. Try to avoid scraping ice off the body of your vehicle. When it’s on the windows, you can give it full force.

4. Hitting Potholes Could Misalign Your Vehicle

When winter comes around, potholes follow. These potholes can vary from giant to miniscule, but regardless, if you hit them just right, you can do serious damage to your vehicle. Generally speaking, hitting a pothole can cause your vehicle to become misaligned.

First and foremost, you’ll want to avoid any distractions while driving. Look out for potholes and maneuver around them strategically. Note, though, that if you come up on a pothole at the last second, you shouldn’t swerve. Doing so could cause an accident, which could do a lot more damage than hitting a pothole ever could.

Need the Help of a Westchester Auto Body Repair Shop?

Has winter weather caused damage to your automobile? Need the help of a Westchester auto body repair shop? Lombard Body & Fender is here to help.

We are well-versed in a variety of auto body repairs, including dent repairs, paint repairs, realignments, and much more. Regardless of your needs, our skilled team can accommodate you.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment!