Tag: Seattle Auto Body Shop

Have you ever hit a deer on the road? It’s not a pleasant experience. Not only is it upsetting to kill or injure an animal, but it can also inflict severe damage to your car. Deer collisions are happening more and more, as the deer populations have more than doubled since the 80’s. Today, such collisions happen about 500,000 times every year, causing over one hundred deaths and an average of $2,000 in damage to the car owner. So, in the interest of protecting yourself and Bambi’s mom, our Seattle auto body shop offers the following advice.

• Deer are most active in the early morning and evening.  If you are driving during these times in a wilderness area, be vigilant.
• Your high-beams can scare off deer from a greater distance.  Use them if it is safe to do so.
• If you see a deer in your path, brake firmly.  Do not swerve; this is not only dangerous, but it can confuse the animal.
• Always wear your seatbelt!  Many injuries result from deer collisions, most due to a failure to buckle up.
• Remember that deer seldom appear alone.  If you see one deer, be on the lookout for more

More and more people are worried about the environmental impact of owning a car, and this concern extends to the way you keep your car clean. Indeed, a properly cleaned car means a car that is resilient to the wear and tear brought on by harsh dirt and environmental effects. A regular car wash can keep your paint job well intact, which translates to fewer trips to our Seattle auto body shop for touch-ups and repairs.

When it comes time to wash your car, an automatic car wash represents one of the “greenest” options available. Though it may seem economical to do your own wash by hand, it has been observed that an automatic wash uses up only half of the water you might otherwise use with a conventional bucket-and-hose method. Commercial car washes are also required to clean and recycle their water, accounting for even further savings.

When looking for an automatic car wash, look for a no-contact pressure system over a rotating brush system. These are likely to do less damage to your paint job, and keep you driving cleaner, greener, and longer.

Many drivers on the roads today are mocked by the memory of gasoline that cost less than two dollars a gallon, and the unfortunate reality is that this is unlikely to be anything but a memory ever again.  With that in mind, the name of the game in our modern world is to get the most out of what we have.  Greenwood’s auto body shop in Seattle offers these tips for driving more economically:

• Obey the speed limit.  Your mileage decreases as your speed goes up, and the difference between sixty and seventy mph can cost you two to four miles per gallon.  Also, faster driving generally means more braking, which is only more inefficient.  Try to maintain a regular, reasonable speed on the freeway.
• Avoid idling.  When you’re waiting at a rail crossing, stuck in a gridlock, or waiting for your carpoolers to wake up, you’re still burning gas.  Turn the car off if it’s safe to do so, and those idle minutes will add up.
• Roll up your windows.  Open windows make your car less aerodynamic, and your fuel economy can suffer by as much as ten percent at freeway speeds.
• Don’t “warm up” your engine too much.  This is a largely antiquated notion with modern, fuel-injected vehicles.  Though it is true that many important fluids need to warm up on a cold day, your engine can warm up all the more efficiently once you actually begin driving.  As long as you’re not putting too much strain on it for the first few miles, you’ll be fine.
• Only buy the recommended grade of gas!  If your car takes regular, you’re not doing it any favors by giving it premium.
• Maintain your car.  A well-maintained engine is a fuel-efficient engine, and properly inflated tires get you the most out of every tank of gas.

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An auto accident can be bad enough without being taken advantage of by unscrupulous body shops. Carefully review any materials presented to you by your mechanic, and look out for any red flags that you’re being taken for a ride in your own wreck.

Firstly, be wary of any unsolicited referrals. Whether somebody is referring you to a body shop or your body shop is referring you to a medical or legal office, this may be a sign of illegal activity. Organized rings exist that work to actively cause car accidents in order to garner your patronage, and they will do what they can to snatch up your money in the form of attorney, doctor, and mechanic fees.

After you have your car repaired, keep an eye on what you are being charged for. Dishonest repair shops may try to report damages that did not exist when the vehicle was brought in, bill for repairs that were not authorized, or charge for new parts while either repairing the existing parts or even replacing them with junkyard salvage.

Remember, not everybody is as reputable as Greenwood Auto Body. Seek us out for all your car repair needs, and you will not be taken advantage of.

Cell phone use in the car is popular among younger generations, and despite the number of collisions it’s been causing, the trend is on the rise. Talking on the phone and texting are the two leading distractions, but iPods, GPS, and other portable electronics are becoming common culprits also. A 2010 CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) analysis detailed cell phone use while driving by surveying respondents from the U.S. and Europe.

Over 25% of U.S. respondents stated that they regularly use their cell phones while driving, most of whom fell into the age group 18-39. Texting was also dominated by this age group, with 9% of the overall count claiming to do so regularly. Statistics gathered in Europe varied, but the U.S. out-scored everyone in distracted driving.

Although states are successively implementing new laws to prevent cell phone use while driving, people are still having a hard time tucking them away. In 2009, nearly 1,000 deaths and 24,000 injuries were attributed to cell phone use. Our Seattle body shop, Greenwood Collision, reminds you to drive safely and attentively to avoid accidents like these.