Where to park to avoid scratches
How to drive to avoid scratches
Final word
Where to park to avoid scratches
No wants to end up with scratches on their car regardless of how they occurred. However, scratches will have the best chance of happening when your car is parked no matter where you are in Alaska. This includes being parked in a parking lot as well as being parked on the street. This makes most sense when you consider that there is no way for you to steer clear of any obstacles that could scratch your car when it is parked and/or you are not even in it.
To minimize the risk of your car being scratched when choosing a place to park it, you should think in terms of minimizing the chances of another car, person or obstacle making contact with your car when it is parked. You can minimize the chances of something or someone making contact with your car when it is parked by using the following tips:
- Do not park under trees or anywhere close to bushes as they have the potential to have branches fall or blow off if the wind happens to pick up.
- If they’re open, always park in an end space because it will eliminate the possibility of your car getting scratched by a car pulling in or out of one of the spaces next to you. This will usually also allow you to park all the way to one side of a space which will decrease the chance of your car getting scratched on the side with a car next to it.
- If you can possibly avoid it, do not park in an area with high amounts of automotive or bicycle traffic. If you park on the side of a busy street, you risk your car being clipped or sideswiped by another vehicle or bike rider.
- If a space looks like it is too tight, then it is too tight to park in without a high risk of your car being scratched.
How to drive to avoid scratches
You can obviously also end up with scratches on your car when you are driving it. Sometimes the scratches could be your fault, other times they might be the fault of another driver, or they might be no one’s fault at all. However, if you drive carefully enough with enough focus on the road ahead, you will be able to avoid the vast majority of scratches to your vehicle.
- Always stay alert and be on the lookout for things that are sticking out into the path of your car. This includes things like street signs, branches from trees, or anything else that looks like it might have a chance of touching your car as you drive by.
- Avoid driving anywhere close to other cars that are driving aggressively or erratically. When someone is driving like that, it will be impossible to predict what they will do next, and they will likely not signal when they do.
- It might seem obvious but never drive through an area that looks like it could be a tight squeeze for your car or that has a very low clearance. It is extremely easy to have your car scratched.
Final word
Ending up with a bad scratch on your car can really impact its appearance negatively and can be very costly to repair. The cost to repair a scratch on your car’s paint in 2023 could be anywhere from $200 to $1000. Avoiding a scratch will be the most cost-effective option as well as the most convenient. To avoid having your car scratched, avoid parking too close to another car, on streets with lots of traffic or near trees and/or bushes. When you are driving, do your best to always drive defensively, keep your eye out for objects that could scratch your car from the side of the road such as tree branches and never drive near anyone who is driving in a reckless manner.
