What you Should Know About Auto Vandalism & Repairs
Depending on where you live and the time of year, your vehicle may be more or less at risk for vandalism. While hopefully, damage from vandalism is mostly cosmetic, sometimes it can cause issues with a vehicle that interfere with safety and functionality. Although it may not seem necessary, you may have to take your car to a collision repair shop without having been in a collision.
Cosmetic damage may be a bigger deal than you think.
While things like stealing a hood ornament, spray paint, or small dents may not be critical to repair immediately, what seems like cosmetic damage could be a big deal if you don’t take care of it quickly.
Keyed paint, for example, doesn’t look great, but paint plays an important role in protecting your car from the elements, preventing rust, and maintaining the integrity of the body. When it’s damaged or scratched, that protection is much less effective, leaving your car vulnerable to excessive wear and tear.
Spray paint may seem similarly cosmetic, but isn’t necessarily so. If it’s on the windows or mirrors, it can inhibit visibility, so it may or may not cause safety issues.
Slashed Tires
Tires are one of the most important auto parts, especially in the winter! They allow your car to grip the road, and help the driver maintain control of steering, speed, and braking, all of which are absolutely necessary when driving a car.
Flat tires are dangerous to drive on, so it’s important to pay attention before you get in the car. In cold weather, compressed air means it’s likely you’ll need to check your tire pressure anyway, so take a look before you get in. Slashed tires are an unfortunate consequence of some vandalism, and there isn’t a universal way to prevent them, so you may need to have tires replaced.
Smashed Windows, Mirrors, and Lights are Critical Repairs
Unfortunately, when it comes to vandalism, smashing the windows, mirrors, headlights or taillights are common. All of these parts are meant to help with driver visibility, and when you can’t see, the chance of getting in an accident increases exponentially. In cold or wet weather, smashed windows can also leave you and the inside of your vehicle vulnerable to the elements, and compromise the integrity of the vehicle body, especially if the windshield is damaged.
Make sure to check for broken glass or plastic before you or your tires come into contact with it! Glass or plastic parts like windows, mirrors, or lights probably need to be replaced, just as if your vehicle had been in a collision.
