Dangers of Driving a Damaged Vehicle
Auto Body Shop in Austin

Broken or Missing Mirrors

Needless to say, you should never consider driving a vehicle with one or more mirrors that are damaged to a point that they can’t be used or have entirely come off. Otherwise, the resultant obstruction to your vision can lead to more accidents and possible injuries.

On top of that, until you get the missing or damaged mirrors replaced, it may not even be legal to drive such a car. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 111 requires all motorists to have at least one rearview mirror in their vehicles to avoid vision obstruction. Not abiding by the law can result in fines and jail sentences in Austin.

Cracked Windshields

It’s too dangerous to drive with cracked windshields because they impair vision. Drivers tend to ignore small nicks or cracks, not realizing that they grow over time, compromising the vision even further. Also, it’s more than just about safety. In some states, driving with large cracks on the windshield can even cause you to be pulled over and ticketed.

Broken Tail Lights, Headlights, and Blinkers

In a vehicle collision, it’s not surprising to have the headlights, blinkers, and tail lights broken. Understandably, driving without them can lead to accidents due to compromised vision on your part or because others can’t see you at night time.

Loose Parts of the Vehicle

If a vehicle part appears loose, chances are it will fall off any time while you’re driving. When this happens, your vehicle can sustain more damage. Depending on the significance of that part, losing it can impact the functioning and overall performance of your car. Apart from this, a component falling off from your vehicle while you’re traveling on the road can prove dangerous for other drivers and pedestrians too.

Dented Vehicle Doors

After a vehicle collision, its doors can become dented. In worse-case scenarios, a loose door can fling open itself or even break, putting you and your family in incredible danger (especially your kids). Even if there’s no danger involved, opening or closing a dented vehicle door can be both difficult and noisy. To avoid these issues, get the dents fixed so that you have peace of mind while driving.

Damaged Wheels

A low-impact collision is enough to damage the wheels and axles of your car, causing the vehicle to start veering. In other cases, damaged wheels may not respond when you want to take a turn. Imagine how risky this can be for you, other drivers, and pedestrians on the road.

Broken Hood

Your vehicle is only safe to hit the road if it can be closed and locked. If a vehicle crash damages the locking mechanism of your car’s hood, it won’t stay shut. A damaged hood can lead to a build-up of air pressure from the engine. As you drive down the road, this can cause the hood to pop open, thereby blocking your vision completely. It can put you and others on the road in significant danger.

Always Choose Safety

Keeping the aforementioned dangers in mind, driving a damaged vehicle in Austin is never a good idea. Regardless of how minor the crash was, have a professional mechanic inspect your car for visible and hidden damages. In the case that you suspect serious internal or external damage, consider towing your car to the repair shop instead of driving it.

Once the repair job is complete, we recommend testing the vehicle using the following checklist before returning it on the road. Make sure that:

• The wheels are properly aligned.
• The mirrors and windshield are intact.
• The hood is not broken.
• There’s no fluid leak.
• No vehicle component is loose.
• The vehicle doors are functioning well.

If these items look good, you’re good to take the vehicle on the road.