How to Protect Your Car From Dents and Dings
Sooner or later, every new car owner knows the feeling. You walk into a parking lot at work, a store, restaurant, or, most frequently of all, the shopping center, and find your beautiful new car sporting a sharp dent or ding in the side molding. The problem has multiplied in recent years, as large sport utility vehicles squeeze into undersized spaces, where their high and wide doors slam into conventional-sized automobiles. To make matters worse, many new cars have abandoned the once-standard protective molding strip, leaving cars completely exposed to neighboring vehicle doors. These risk factors put every new car at high risk for dents and dings. In order to protect your car from dents and dings, the following preventative measures can be taken.
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Instructions
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When shopping for a new car, look for models equipped with molding strips. Determine if molding strips can be added as an option.
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Practice your parallel-parking skills. Choose to parallel park whenever possible.
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When parallel-parking spaces are unavailable, choose distant spaces where other vehicles are unlikely to park beside your vehicle.
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When distant, isolated spaces are unavailable, choose corner spaces. Maximize lateral distance from the neighboring parking space.
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When parking between vehicles, position your car at an angle opposite from that of the neighboring vehicles, if possible. Doing so will maximize the space for doors to open without impacting the car.
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Tips & Warnings
When there is no alternative but to park between two vehicles, attempt to park beside the following vehicles, in decreasing order of preference: motorcycles, minivans (which have a minimum number of doors that open outward), compact and subcompact vehicles, preferably ones with only two doors.
When you must park next to a disfavored vehicle and cannot obtain sufficient lateral distance to avoid open doors, park close to the neighboring vehicle. Doing so will minimize the momentum that the door can generate before touching your car.
Most shopping centers have larger parking lots than necessary. Take advantage of such lots by parking sufficiently far from other vehicles to minimize the chance of others parking next to your car.
Avoid parking under hardwood trees, which frequently drop acorns and nuts that can also cause damage to the vehicle’s body.
Don't park beside SUVs, trucks or other large vehicles.
Never deliberately park over two parking spaces. This technique increases the risk of intentional vandalism by other drivers who resent this selfish maneuver.
