Citygate

Ah, the autumn. The leaves are changing colour, the nights are getting cosier, and your chances of being involved in a car accident are higher than ever. As the countdown to winter begins, we as a nation of drivers get stupider – and the month of October is peak bump time1. So to celebrate this season of ‘oh crap’ moments, we’ve put together our top four daftest ways to damage your car before spring.

The reverse bump-slide

You’re pulling into your drive after a long day. As a gesture of good will, you wave at your elderly neighbour, who ignores you. You recover from your fury just in time to realise you’ve hit a patch of ice, and you’re about to slide into the garage door. You accept your fate, and so does your poor, newly scuffed bumper. Damn you, Doreen.

The kerb glance

It’s only five o’clock, and night-time has crept up on you. So when you turn that sharp corner off the main road, you don’t see the curb. You don’t see it – but you do hear it. You hear it scrape down the side of your beautiful, once-perfect alloys. It sounds like a short fight between two cats, and the results are just as ugly. Now everyone who looks at your wheels knows you’re a dirty, dirty curb glancer.

The coffee spill

In the real depths of winter – we’re talking January 3rd here – you might well revert to the coffee-on-the-go method. And it feels pretty good, doesn’t it? As you pour your coffee into your new thermos, and clutch it to your chest, you realise you’ve done it. You’ve beaten the weather. You’re warm. That victorious feeling lasts until two minutes into your journey, when you go to take a sip mid-drive, and spill it all over yourself and your seat. Goodbye happiness, hello suspicious brown patch.

The bodywork bosh

It’s not really your fault, this one. You couldn’t help the local kids throwing snowballs at your car. And you definitely couldn’t help that one of those snowballs was actually just a snow-covered rock. What you could help, is jumping out and chasing the kid down the road, shouting words that no child should hear. And while you’re screaming, the dent in your car is whispering: ‘I’m a scruffy disgrace.’

So there we have it – the top 4 things not to do this winter. And if you take nothing else away from this, just remember our first point: Doreen is out to get you.

If you do end up damaging your car this winter, give Citygate a call. Our SMART repair service takes care of bumper scuffs, alloy scratches, interior stains, and bodywork dents. Find out more here, or get in touch with our bodyshop manager: