Avoid needing Auto Body Repair this holiday season
1. Prepare your vehicle for the winter
During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be difficult to find time to check off all the items on your to-do list, but automotive maintenance should be a priority. Winter’s cold, snow, and ice are conditions that everyone should prepare for as early as possible. Start with a check of your tires. Bald tires are a common cause of winter accidents because they are ineffective at gripping the road, and when those roads are covered in ice, braking, turning, accelerating, and backing up all become more difficult. So, visit your automotive specialist to check your tires, brakes, windshield wipers, defrost system, battery, and fluids. Keeping up with automotive service, maintenance, and repair is always the first step to avoid an accident.
2. Monitor the weather
Let the shopping begin; it’s the holiday season. This is the time of year when everyone takes to the road in search of the perfect gifts for their loved ones, but before you do, always check the weather. Aside from bundling up in your holiday best, you want to plan ahead for winter’s road conditions. If the forecast predicts fog, rain, snow, or worse, you want to be prepared to take all the necessary precautions to avoid an accident, or even consider postponing your trip. Pay attention to all travel warnings, and if you feel safe making the journey, remember to leave early, drive more slowly, and leave a little extra room between you and other vehicles.
3. Be rested and alert
The holiday parties are underway, and that can often mean staying out late. Enjoy the festivities this season, but don’t forget to get the rest you need to remain alert while out on winter roads. Driving drowsy can be deadly! In fact, the National Highway Administration reports that drowsy drivers cause over 72,000 accidents nationwide. Don’t add to the statistics this season, rest up after those holiday shindigs so you can be aware of your surroundings while driving through the worst road conditions of the year. Now’s the time to look out for other cars, roaming animals, playing children, and more. So, stay alert!
4. Take parking lot precautions during holiday shopping
Traffic is at an all-time high, especially in mall and shopping center parking lots. Aside from stray shopping carts that could damage your vehicle, it’s also important to be on the look for holiday thefts. Most shoppers tend to visit more than one store in an outing, so the later it gets, the more gifts end up in your vehicle. Consider storing all gifts in the trunk of your car to keep them from being visible, or make a couple extra stops to unload at home, so potential thieves will have less reason to target your vehicle.
Breezy Point Auto Body wants you to avoid the need for auto body repairs throughout the holidays, and we hope these tips help. We know your time is valuable, and it should be spent enjoying the magic of the season. Should you suffer an accident or any kind of auto body damage, remember that Breezy Point Auto Body is a friendly, knowledgeable, and reliable full-service auto collision repair shop that has been serving Fairfield and New Haven Counties since 1960. Call Breezy Point Auto Body at (203)378-4909 or use our contact form any time you may need our services.
Trust us to exceed your expectations. And have a very Safe and Happy Holiday Season.