How To Avoid Scratches And Dents On Your Car – See Useful Tips

OMG! Did someone just scratch my car??? What can I do to avoid scratches and dents on my car?

It’s always disheartening to see scratches or dents on your newly acquired car. You know, after spending so much money to change your car and/or even do a facelift, I can understand how painful it must be to see the slightest disfiguration to your car. One of the famous Nigerian hip hop songs that reigned in the early 2000s was ‘My Car’ by Tony Tetuila. If you remember this song, then you probably already know where I’m getting at. The lyrics of the song has been a funny song sung by Nigerian drivers when their car suddenly gets bashed in another vehicle. “you don hit my car, oyinbo repete, as you don bash my car gbese repete”.

Almost every Nigerian car owner has had instances where their car sustained a dent by driving on the road. The Nigeria road condition even contributes to the frequency of scratches and dents experienced by road users. But the big question is, are there things that can be done to avoid this situation? Frankly speaking, some of these situations might be unavoidable, but some can be prevented if you put to use these useful tips. Here are smart ways to avoid scratches and dents on your car:

AVOID PARKING CARELESSLY

Parking carelessly exposes your car to potential hits that could cause scratches and dents. Nigerian roads are hardly wide enough to allow ample, safe space for parking. Knowing how narrow the roads are in Nigeria, there have been frequent incidences of cars bumping into each other. Nigerian drivers are often in a hurry, and this makes them indulge in reckless overtaking that causes accidents. To avoid unnecessary scratches and dents in your car, always find a safe place to park your car. 

MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE

Maintaining a safe distance is crucial if you want to preserve the paints on your car. If you need to park, avoid parking too close to the next car in front of you, stationary objects or low-hanging trees. If you park too close to these objects, you stand the risk of bashing into any of them when you try to leave the parking lot. During traffic or ‘go-slow’, endeavour to keep a good distance between you and the next vehicle as movements during traffic can be sometimes unpredictable. 

AVOID RECKLESS DRIVING

It’s important to remember that your car is not the only car on the road. If you love overspeeding or taking sharp turns to overtake other vehicles on the road, then you might want to have a rethink on that if you want to avoid scratches and dents on your car. Driving really fast could pose a serious danger considering the sad state of Nigerian roads characterized by potholes, bumps etc. If you are lucky to escape an accident, it might be hard to escape sustaining a dent in your car. When you drive carefully on the road, you not only protect yourself and your car, you also protect other drivers and vehicles around you. Drive carefully by staying within speed limits, obeying traffic regulations and signs; and every other rule provided by your state of residence.

DON’T ALLOW FOREIGN OBJECTS ON YOUR CAR

This might be difficult to avoid, but then you are responsible for your car. As much as you can, avoid people scrubbing sharp objects against your car. You can also admonish people not to place any sharp, foreign object that could scratch off paint from your car. If anyone wants to sit in your car, ensure they don’t have any sharp objects like keys, metals, tins etc that could rub off on your car, thereby causing a dent. If possible, don’t allow anyone to even sit in your car including yourself, as their weight can cause a dent in the car. You can also warn roadside vendors not to put their wares on your car. 

WASH YOUR CAR WITH RIGHT MATERIALS

When washing your car, use only recommended materials that are good for the surface of your car. Avoid hard brushes, corrosive chemicals that can make paints peel off your car. 

OBSERVE THE WEATHER

Weather conditions can make driving difficult. Strong winds, hailstorms, and rainfall can throw up sand, pebbles, stones and other dangerous materials that can cause scratches and dents on your car. Before driving out, do a weather check or listen to the weather forecast to know about the potential state of the weather. Rather than take chances, do away with driving when the weather condition is bad.