Preventing a Friend from Driving Drunk

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Far too many car accidents are caused by drunk drivers. We all know that drunk driving is bad but, when we’re in an inebriated state, we occasionally need the intervention of a loved one to stand in for our better judgement and keep us off the road. Greenwood’s Seattle body shop offers the following tips in the event that you ever find yourself between a drunk friend and the driver’s seat:

First off, don’t be confrontational. Your friend is in an emotional state, and needs to be steered by positive emotions. Try to be light-hearted about it, make it a joke, or suggest that it would be a personal favor to you if he or she didn’t get behind the wheel. If this doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to take his or her keys while he or she isn’t looking. Be adamant about not riding in the same car as the drunk driver. Get some support if you need to, as drunk people can be quite susceptible to social pressure.

If everything else fails, remember that you’d be doing your friend a favor to alert the authorities. After all, he or she is better off with a police record than with the injury or death that so frequently accompanies drunk driving.

Shaking Steering Wheels

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Are you experiencing a quick back-and-forth motion in your steering wheel? Greenwood’s Seattle body shop can help! This is a common problem resulting from collisions or pothole-related damage, and can in many cases actually be quite simple and inexpensive to repair.

The first question to ask is, “When is your steering wheel shaking?” In general, you might be experiencing either a constant shaking motion or a shake that only occurs when you reach a certain speed. If your steering wheel is shaking only at a certain speed, chances are good that your wheels are just a little out of balance and need a simple alignment. If the shaking is constant, you might have either a bent wheel or a loose steering linkage. Whatever the case may be, bring your car in to Greenwood and we’ll get your restless wheel back in order again!

Tips for Before You Need Auto Collision Repair

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You don’t want to wait until you need auto collision repair to make sure you’ve got everything in order.  Follow these simple tips from your friendly Seattle auto body shop to avoid problems after the crash.

  • Read and understand your insurance policy.  If you don’t understand any part of it, talk to your representative.

  • Know your rights and responsibilities.  Review the driving and insurance laws of your state.

  • Identify organizations that you can trust.  It’s better to know who your auto shop, doctor, and legal council will be before you need them in order to avoid aggressive fraud artists.

  • Know your vehicle.  Perform regular maintenance and keep it in reliable condition.

  • Practice safe driving!  You may not be able to control other drivers, but you should at least be able to rely on yourself.

Auto Collision Repair and Insurance

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So, you’ve been in an accident and managed to get your car put back together with our Seattle body shop. Is your insurance going to pick up the bill? In order to make sure you’re getting the most out of your insurance provider, keep the following in mind:

After you’ve filed your claim with your insurance company, they should contact you within a few days for more information. They will try to get the full account of what happened, which may include asking for an examination under oath, contacting witnesses of the event, and reviewing any documentation of injuries, expenses, or lost wages you may be claiming. An adjustor or appraiser will want to look over your damaged vehicle before it is repaired. In the event of minor damages, it is not unusual that they may ask you to seek out competitive bids.

If your insurance company is not responsive, or if you ever feel that you are being treated unreasonably, you should contact the Department of Insurance. Check the website of your state’s individual Department of Insurance to read more on your rights and responsibilities.

What to Do When You’re In an Accident

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You cannot expect to avoid auto collisions, but you can prepare yourself for when they occur.  Keep the following in mind for the next time you find yourself in an accident out on the road.

  • Your first priority should be to check for injuries.  Unless they are in immediate danger, do not attempt to move anyone who may have suffered a spine injury.  Call for emergency service.

  • Call the police.  The police may not come to the scene, depending on the severity and location of the accident, but they should be notified regardless.

  • Get information from all drivers.  This includes names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, license plates and vehicle identification numbers.

  • Get a record of the accident.  Ask for contact information from witnesses, and take pictures of the damage and accident scene if possible.

  • Notify your insurance company immediately.

  • The accident must be reported to the DMV within ten days if there are injuries or the vehicle damage exceeds $750.00.

  • In the event that the owner of one of the vehicles involved is not available, leave a note with the names and addresses of the drivers.

  • Do not argue with the other drivers or sign any statements!  Prepare your story for the proper officials.

  • Contact Greenwood Collision’s Seattle auto body shop for all your repair needs.

What are Aftermarket Parts?

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Sometimes an auto collision repair job at our Seattle body shop may call for replacing damaged parts with what are called “aftermarket parts.” These are simply parts that were not made by the original manufacturer. It is perfectly legal to use such parts, and their aftermarket nature should be no particular indicator of a low-quality or second-rate product.

Consumers should be aware that an auto body shop is required to provide them with an invoice of all parts used in the repair of their car, and that this invoice should identify all aftermarket parts used. Check your invoices to assure that your shop is complying with this, as a failure to do so may be indicative of dishonest repair work.

Don’t Use Do-It-Yourself Windshield Repair Kits!

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There are several product lines out there that promise quick, cheap solutions for all your cracked windshield needs. Though many enthusiastic do-it-yourselfers may find such a prospect attractive, this is one area where you’re well-advised to stick with the expert help of your Seattle auto body shop.

Though you’re sure to save a little money with a home repair kit, few people find the results to be worth the cost. These kits generally supply you with a low-quality resin, which frequently changes color, falls out, or causes further damage to your windshield. This problem is only compounded by the sub-par tools that go with a do-it-yourself job; professional equipment is able to leave your repair smooth, so that your wipers don’t trip up on it. It’s able to create a vacuum in the cracked area, so that no air particles are trapped inside the resin to compromise the integrity of your repair. These are things that cannot be offered by a kit.

So remember to take all of your cracked windshields to a real collision expert. We’ve got the best tools, the best materials, and the know-how it takes to make your repairs last.

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Cracked Windshields: Repair or Replace?

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Windshield cracks happen. Even if you’re the world’s greatest driver on the world’s safest roads, you’re eventually going to see a tiny break start to snake its way across that once-pristine pane that keeps the bugs out of your teeth. So what do you do about them? Are they anything to worry about? When is it time to call upon your Seattle auto body shop for repairs?

The good news is that there are actually some pretty simple standards to tell you when a windshield can be repaired or when it needs to be replaced. These all depend on the specific type of crack, its location, and its size:

  • Crack: A simple fracture line. Cracks can be repaired if they are no longer than fourteen inches in length.
  • Bullseye Cracks: Circular cracks caused by a sharp impact. These cracks are repairable if their diameters do not exceed one inch.
  • Star Breaks: Groups of cracks emanating from a central point in a star-like shape. These can be repaired if the diameter does not exceed three inches.
  • Combination Breaks: These combine the features of different kinds of cracks, like a star break within a bullseye. If the diameter of the body of such a crack (excluding any “legs”) does not exceed two inches, it can be repaired.
  • Surface Pit: This is a nick in the outer glass layer of a windshield that has not penetrated into the inner plastic layer. If the diameter of a surface pit is at least one eighth of an inch, it can be repaired.

However, if your crack meets any of the following criteria, the windshield will have to be replaced:

  • The crack extends from an edge and lacks an impact point (a “stress crack”)
  • The crack extends to more than one edge.
  • The crack is in the driver’s direct line of vision.
  • The crack is contaminated to a point that it might not fill properly.

Source

Jump Starting Your Car

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While Greenwood’s Seattle auto body shop is well suited to solve all of your bigger car problems, a jump start is a task that you should be able to take care of by yourself. If your car isn’t starting and you blame the battery, get yourself some safety goggles, a good pair of jumper cables and a friend with a functional car. Then follow these simple steps to get your engine running again.

WITH BOTH CARS TURNED OFF, open the hoods and locate the batteries of each car. Each battery will be clearly marked with a positive (+) side and a negative (-) side. It is important to keep track of these, because attaching the wrong cables to the wrong sides can do serious damage to your engine. Attach the red cable to the positive ends of each battery. Attach the black cable to the negative end of the good battery, and then to a section of unpainted metal on the dead car. DO NOT ATTACH THE BLACK CABLE TO THE DEAD BATTERY, AND DO NOT LET THE RED CABLE TOUCH THE BLACK CABLE OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE CAR WHILE IT IS CONNECTED TO YOUR BATTERY.

Now that the cars are connected, turn the key on the car with the good battery. Leave it running for a minute or two to allow a charge to build up in the dead battery. Now you can try to start the car with the dead battery. If the car turns over, go ahead and disconnect the cables and be on your way. If you continue to experience problems, it may be time to contact your auto body shop.

Jump Start Guide

Drive Safe This Winter!

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It’s no mystery that winter is a prime time for auto damage. Extreme cold and harsh, wet weather is hard enough on your car without the added dangers you face on the road. To keep you safe when Jack Frost starts knocking on your windshield, your Seattle auto body shop offers these tips:

Prepare your car. You don’t want to get caught off guard if there’s any chance that you could get snowed upon. In addition to snow chains, it’s a good idea to have a supply of sand or kitty litter to throw under your tires in case you get stuck. You’ll also want to find a brush for removing snow from your car; it can be easy to damage your paint job when scraping away snow, so look for a brush that is specially designed for this job!

Practice. If you have the luxury, you might consider finding an open parking lot or other wide, empty space where you can practice braking on icy surfaces. Proceed cautiously here, and allow enough space to assure that you’re not going to damage anything. A few trial runs across a slippery surface may help to keep you from panicking whenever you might get into a real slide.

Drive safely. Under normal conditions, you would be maintaining a following distance of three seconds. When the road is slippery, you should increase this number to eight or ten seconds. Also, you should never be using cruise control on a slippery surface.

Be ready for a skid! If your car goes into a slide, take your foot off the gas. Don’t slam on the brakes, steer your car towards where you want to go, and let it slow down enough for you to regain control. If you get stuck, try to pull out with your front tires as straight as possible; this will reduce the resistance they will encounter and improve your chances of freeing yourself.

Follow these tips this winter and you should keep any damage to your vehicle to a minimum. When all else fails, though, you can always give a call to Greenwood Collision. Through rain, sleet, or driving snow, we’ll get your car back on the road as soon as possible.

Safe Winter Driving Article Source