Do you know the amount damage a small accident can do to your vehicle? As we have said before: It’s a lot more than simply getting your car looking like new again!

We often find that people still want to drive their wrecked car, not realizing the repair goes beyond cosmetics. At Ron’s Collision Center, your safety is always our top priority—that’s why we look out for these common issues after a wreck: Sensors, Safety Items (it seems obvious, but we’ll explain!), and Hidden Damage.

Crashed car parked outside Ron's Collision Center waiting for repairs.

Most common safety issue people overlook after a wreck—Sensors!

There are many systems in your car that rely on sensors to deliver accurate information in order to keep you safe. These sensors can become out of calibration from the impact of a collision. This can cause the following systems to become falsely activated, or not activated when they should:

  • Forward Collision Warning
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Rear Cross Traffic Warning
  • Blind Spot Warning
  • Automatic Emergency Braking
  • Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking
  • Rear Automatic Braking
  • Blind Spot Intervention
  • Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Lane Centering Assistance
  • Lane Keeping Assistance
  • Automatic High Beams
  • Backup Camera
  • Automatic Crash Notification

Not all vehicles are equipped with these features. You can enter your make and model on the NHTSA website to see what driver assistance technology is standard on your car.

Another overlooked reason a vehicle cannot be driven after a wreck—Damaged Safety Items!

Most people do not realize even a slight crack in a windshield makes them brittle and jeopardizes your safety. Here are some of the things that keep your car from being road worthy once damaged, even if it still runs and drives just fine:

  • Head Lights/Tail Lights
  • Turn Signals
  • Air Bags
  • Horns
  • Windshields/Glass
  • Latching Mechanisms (Hood, Doors, Trunk)
  • Seat Belt Mechanisms
  • Tires/Wheels
  • Mirrors
  • Windshield Wipers

Basically, if your car would not pass PA state inspection then we would not let you drive it, either! Your safety is our #1 priority.

The last big reason we would not want you to drive your car after a wreck—Hidden/Unseen Damage!

We see a lot working on wrecked cars, and we also know what to look for. Damage from a wreck isn’t just what you see on the outside, there can be a lot more to the story going on under the car.

  • Damage to cooling systems (Leaking antifreeze, broken fans)
  • Suspension/alignment issues
  • Bent frame
  • Damaged wires/electrical systems

Driving with any of these issues can not only make the car harder to drive & more unpredictable on the road, but driving with damage to your cooling system can cause irreparable damage to your engine. We know not having your car is inconvenient, but it’s still better than driving an unsafe vehicle!

Need collision repair services in the Somerset, Pennsylvania area? Get started with a collision repair estimate here!.