In the event of a hail storm, it’s important to know how to respond. Hail storms can be very frustrating for people who live in apartment complexes because there often isn’t a place to cover your car, and most drivers cannot avoid hail storms if they are on the road. To prevent damage to your vehicle, drivers need to know how to drive through a hail storm safely. In today’s blog post, the hail damage repair experts at Cox Collision will give tips on what to do in a hail storm.
Do: Find a Gas Station or Parking Garage
The only way to truly prevent damage to your vehicle during a hail storm is to find cover. Your vehicle can sustain impacts requiring hail damage repair, even if you aren’t in the storm for that long. So, when you start to feel hail coming down on your car, try to find a gas station or a parking garage to take cover in. Hail storms typically last just 5-10 minutes, so you shouldn’t be held up too long.
Do Not: Stop Under an Overpass
If you are not driving in town and are instead driving on an interstate, there might not be a gas station available. In those scenarios, it might be tempting to stop under an interstate. However, stopping under an interstate is not safe, and you should never do so.
Taking cover under an overpass can cause traffic to bottleneck, which can cause serious wrecks at high speeds. If you don’t have any immediate cover, the best option is to find a safe spot to pull over. Even though your car will still be hit by hail, driving only increases the impact of the hail. Find a spot to pull over, turn on your hazard lights, and attempt to angle your vehicle so you are facing into the wind.
Do: Evaluate Your Car for Damage
If you weren’t able to find cover, the next step is evaluating your car for damage. Once the storm ends, safely get out of your vehicle and check for dents. If your windshield has been broken or has spiderweb cracks, do not attempt to drive it home. Instead, call for help and wait in your vehicle until help arrives. If your car has sustained damage, you’ll need to take it to a shop that offers hail damage repair.
Contact Cox Collision for Hail Damage Repair Options
If you have recently been caught in a hail storm, and you are looking for hail damage repair solutions, give Cox Collision a call at (417) 877-0077 or contact us online today.