The Risks Of Driving With Auto Body Damage
Posted on: 2 July 2015
If you've been involved in an accident that seems to be nothing more than a few dents and bends in your car's body, there may be more problems than you think. Some dents may seem like mere cosmetic damage rather than something that affects driving, but there are some serious problems that can come from a vehicle damaged out of its proper shape. Before you continue driving without taking the car in for complete repairs, consider a few of the problems that could endanger your life and wallet.
Ignoring Resistance From Damage Can Be Costly
When your vehicle has more resistance (also known as drag) because of auto body damage, your vehicle has to work harder to maintain the same speed. The engine of your vehicle is designed to power a vehicle with a certain amount of demand, which changes because of the damage.
By moving forward with increased resistance, your vehicle's engine may consume fuel at a faster rate and may fail faster due to accelerated wear and tear. Keep that in mind if you're avoiding auto body repairs because of the cost, as you could be throwing away more money at the pump over time.
Dents in certain areas can also cause your vehicle to drift slightly in a certain direction. This also puts a small amount of extra stress on the vehicle, but the bigger problem is the traffic danger. If you're not paying attention or begin to lose focus during a long drive, you may drift into another lane and startle another driver. You may even hit another vehicle because of the drifting.
Resistance Is Fuel-Tied
A vehicle's body is designed to reduce resistance as much as possible. In order to drive forward efficiently, the wind must be directed around the vehicle instead of pushing directly into the vehicle' front and other surfaces.
To understand resistance, stick your hand outside of the car window the next time you're driving. Open your hand with your palm facing forward and feel the wind pushing back. The force pushing back against your hand is the air, and your hand is resisting the movement of the air.
By turning your hand sideways, you may notice that the resistance is less intense. Vehicle designers are constantly developing new ways to achieve similar or better results with a sleek, slender design.
When a vehicle is damaged, the crushed crumple zones and dents can become flat, forward-facing shapes that increase the resistance of your vehicle. Instead of risking personal injury or spending extra money at the gas station, contact an auto body repair professional like Bowling Green Lincoln Auto Sales to get the problem fixed as soon as possible.
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