Navigating Local Road Construction: How to Protect Your Car

Whether you’re traveling this summer or staying local in Warsaw, you’re likely to encounter road construction. Even though your feelings toward construction are likely negative, it’s important to be attentive and careful while driving in these areas to avoid getting into a wreck or incurring unwanted damage to your vehicle.

What’s The Harm?

Road construction may not seem harmful, but it can cause a variety of auto issues if you’re not careful. Here are just a few ways road construction can easily damage your car.

Tire Damage

In construction zones, there are typically more potholes, uneven pavement, and rubble across the road than in normal driving conditions. If you drive over any of these obstructions at a fast speed you’re likely to damage or pop a tire on impact.

Paint Scratches

With extra debris in the air, there’s a greater chance of your car’s paint getting scratched or chipped when going through construction. Then, if you go through an automatic car wash after driving through construction, the fragments can get pushed around and cause even more damage. It’s always a good idea to hand wash your car following an encounter with road construction.

Cracked Windshield

Although you’re constantly at risk of getting a cracked windshield, it’s significantly more likely to happen when driving through construction zones. With more debris being kicked up from the road in these areas, there’s a higher chance of rubble flying into your windshield and causing a crack or chip.

Crash Frequency

In high-construction areas, the chances of getting into a car wreck go up immensely. There’s a reason for all the signs warning you to slow down and explaining the fines for speeding in a construction zone. There are frequent stopping points and often changing road conditions that can lead to a crash if you’re not careful and attentive.

How To Protect Your Car

With so many ways construction areas can damage your vehicle, it’s good to know how to protect your car from road construction.

Watch For Potholes

Potholes and uneven areas in the pavement can sneak up on you. Scan the road and watch for imperfections to save your vehicle from unwanted damage. 

Sometimes you can’t quite avoid these road conditions. If that’s the case, slow down to minimize your impact speed. Lower impact speed raises your chances of incurring little to no damage to your vehicle.

Drive Slow

When going through high construction areas it’s especially important to slow down. Often there are lower speed limits in these zones, and for good reason.

The slower you drive, the easier it is to react to changing road conditions, watch out for road workers, and remain between the cones. This will allow you to keep yourself, others, and your vehicle safe.

Avoid Large Debris When Possible

Although it can be difficult to dodge small debris that is kicked up from the road, there are often large pieces of rubble or other debris that you can avoid. 

It’s important to scan the road for anything unusual that could cause great damage. Then, know where you can safely swerve to avoid hitting the large debris.

Stay Focused

It’s always important to limit distractions while driving, but this is crucial when driving through construction zones. 

Pay attention to these areas to avoid hitting a cone, a person, a pothole, unwanted debris, another car, or anything else that may cause issues.

Have Damage From A Local Construction Zone?

We’re here to help! We have two local locations in Warsaw that feature full car repair and maintenance services. We understand you have a busy schedule, so we also offer free pick-up with our Boggs Driver Service for oil changes and preventative maintenance.

We try to make our service as convenient as possible, so no appointment is necessary for oil changes at Boggs Pit Stop or Boggs Automotive. Just stop by! 

Even if you’ve done your best to protect your car from road construction, it can still get damaged…that’s why we’re here! If pesky road construction took a toll on your vehicle, we offer other car repair services too! To schedule an appointment, just click below to give us a call.