Avoid the Dreaded Door Ding with These Helpful Tips

There’s nothing like coming back to your car to find a fresh dent in its body. The worst part is that door dings happen to so many people every year because they’re just plain difficult to avoid. You could be the victim of a “ding and run” almost anywhere—like grocery stores, work parking lots, doctors’ offices and countless other places. Anywhere that your car is going to be in close quarters with another car poses a risk.

But that doesn’t mean you have to accept your fate lying down! Tom’s Body & Paint, Inc. is here to help remove those bothersome dents, so don’t hesitate to give us a call for fair prices and expert services from our auto body shop in Visalia, CA should you have an unpleasant parking lot encounter. In the meantime, here are some helpful tips to keep your car ding-free.

End spots are your friend

We know that sometimes parking lots are packed and you just have to grab what you can get. But if you have the option of picking a spot that suits you, try to find one on an end. This not only cuts down your risk of getting dinged by 50 percent (since only one car will park next to you), it will also be easier to get into and out of, and you can make sure you have a good amount of space between you and that other car.

Take a hike

Hey, you’ve been meaning to log more miles on your FitBit anyway, right? Parking further away from the front of a parking lot means less traffic, and you have a better chance of not having two car neighbors on either side of you. In a nutshell, less crowding means less risk of damage.

Cars of a similar height play nice

Here’s something you might not have considered: if your car is close to the same height as the car next to you (another sedan if you’ve got a sedan, or another SUV if you drive one of those) and you’ve got some rubber bumpers, you’re a little less likely to have damage. Think about it—if that other car pulls out and clips the side of your car, that protective molding could prevent an encounter with the actual body of your car. So, if you’ve got a choice, look for vehicles that are similar to yours and pull right in next to them.

Look for evidence of little tots

Kids are adorable, but let’s face it—they’re also pretty destructive sometimes. Blame it on all that excess energy we wish we still had! Check for child seats in cars you’re considering parking next to, and consider a different spot if you find them. Kids tend to enter and exit vehicles with exuberance, so you can lower your chances of having a door slammed into your car by parking a little further away from their boisterous presence.

Ultimately, life is too short to stress too much about door dings. If you find one on your vehicle, don’t fret—just pop over to Tom’s Body & Paint, Inc. We’re your go-to auto body shop in Visalia, CA, and we’ll get your car set right in no time.

Categorised in: Auto Body Shop

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