Are Bigger or Smaller Cars Safer in a Collision?

No collision is ever ideal. Car size doesn’t really matter in a devastating accident. However, in minor ones, the size of your ride can make a difference. Not only is an accident nerve-racking and car-wrecking, but it can also be budget-smashing too. One thing to remember is to keep perspective. If no one was injured in the accident, your car did its job.

Let’s back up a minute: so are bigger or smaller cars safer in a collision? Most people assume bigger cars are much safer than smaller cars, but technology has closed the gap between the sizes to hone in more on the overall safety spectrum of the newer cars. No matter what, keep these factors in mind:

Newer Cars Are Safest, Despite Size

Modern cars come with safety features that minimize injury and the risk of death. These are some of the standard ones, but you can add on extras as you wish:

• Side, rear, side-curtain and front airbags.

• Electronic stability control, which stabilizes your car if it spins out of control, and minimizes rollovers.

• Back-up sensors and backup cameras to prevent rear-end collisions.

• Blindspot warning, which uses a camera or sensor to alert the driver of other vehicles in their blind spot as they change lanes.

Weight and Size

Bigger cars are heavier, with the ability to absorb the force of an impact better than smaller cars. Higher weight minimizes damage and risk, and larger hoods have an advantage when it comes to head-on collisions due to a more sizable crumple zone, or crush zone. This refers to the area at the front of the vehicle that is responsible for absorbing most of the impact in a front-end crash.

Momentum

As the weight of the car goes up, so does its momentum. Consequently, the car requires more time to slow down. When colliding with a smaller vehicle, the energy of the bigger car will transfer to the smaller one, causing it more damage. In addition, the force of the impact can cause injury to the passenger in the smaller car.

Smaller cars also come with a much higher risk when getting into a collision with a larger car. Big cars push smaller cars, boosting the risk of injuries like whiplash.

Safest Type of Vehicle

The type of car that works the best will vary by your needs and that of your family. Perhaps you have small children and safety is a top concern, or maybe you’re looking for a durable car for your new teenage driver. If you’re concerned about the environment, choosing a car that’s more environmentally friendly will be of paramount importance.

Contact Apex Auto Center

Whether you have a small or large car, when you get in an accident, you need collision repair you can depend on. Contact us in Marlborough MA at 508-229-2444 or by email at apexautocenterinc@gmail.com.

HIT AND RUN: WHAT DO I DO??

It’s bad enough being in a car accident, but when you become the victim of a hit-and-run accident the confusion and uncertainty is much greater. For example, most drivers pull over after an accident to make sure everyone is safe and exchange information. But, when the other driver high-tails it down the road, who do you talk to and what do you do? If this unfortunate situation happens to you, here’s what you need to know.

Many people think of hit-and-run car accidents as those involving serious injury to a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or another vehicle. However, a hit-and-run is really any accident in which one of the drivers intentionally leaves the scene without providing contact information.

For example, suppose a car sideswipes you and speeds off without stopping. Or, someone hits your unattended car without leaving any contact information or making an attempt to get in touch with you. Both situations are considered hit-and-run accidents. In fact, any time an accident occurs and the other driver flees the scene, it’s a hit-and-run.

As with any auto accident, the first step is to check yourself and any passengers in the car for injuries. If someone is seriously injured, don’t attempt to move them. Instead, immediately call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance. If nobody is hurt, stay calm, move your car to a safe place, and take the following steps.

1. Document the scene of the hit-and-run.

The more information you can provide the police, the better their chances of catching the hit-and-run driver. Start by writing down the time and date of the hit-and-run car accident and the extent of the damage. Then document as much information as you can about the car that hit you, including make, model, color, license plate number, and the direction in which it was heading. Be sure to note anything unusual about the car, such as raised wheels, unique detailing, visible damage or anything else that might make it easy to identify.

If you happened to get a glimpse of the hit-and-run driver, write down what you can recall about them: sex, race, and approximate age – anything that can help identify the person who damaged your car and then drove away.

2. Identify witnesses.

Look around to see if anyone saw the accident. This could be someone standing on the sidewalk, sitting on a bench waiting for the bus, or another driver who stopped to see if you were okay.  Ask them to relate what they saw regarding the accident and/or driver, and if you didn’t get it, whether they noticed the license plate of the other car.

Gather contact information for each witness, including names, phone numbers, home or work address, and email address (some people might not be willing to give some of these details). If you can’t find any obvious witnesses, go into nearby stores or businesses to inquire whether anyone saw the hit-and-run accident.

If the accident occurred in a commercial parking lot (at a mall, for example), check to see if there are any security cameras that may have caught the accident. If not, find the mall security office and ask if they have cameras anywhere else on the premises that might have caught the hit-and-run driver leaving the scene.

3. Take pictures of your damaged vehicle.

Photos are important for documenting the extent of the damage and where it happened. Take close-ups and landscape pictures that show your car at the scene of the accident. These will help explain what happened.

4. File a police report.

Once you have gathered as much information as possible, call the police to file a police report. Provide all the information you have written down, including the names and contact information of any witnesses. Even if the police fail to locate the hit-and-run driver, filing a report can speed up the insurance claims process and provide an official document of the events of the accident. If the accident was minor with no injuries, the police may take the report over the phone or ask you to come into the station. If the police don’t show up, some states will allow you to fill out a driver report. Visit your state’s DMV web site to access the proper form.

Above all, never leave the scene in an attempt to chase and confront the other driver. If you’re angry, as many people would be, take a few minutes to calm down and then proceed with the recommended steps. Turn the information you have over to the police and let them handle it. Then contact your insurance company as soon as possible.

And remember, if your car needs professional repairs due to a hit-and-run accident or any other type of collision, Apex Auto Center Inc. will be there for you with professional auto body repair services to get your car back on the road safely and promptly.

-Apex Auto Center Inc.
(5-14-2018)

How to Fix My Faded Headlights?

Many of you have probably at some point noticed someone’s headlamps that are faded, yellowed, or old looking. This is actually very common and can start happening to any lenses that are plastic (which are most of them) after years of exposure in direct sunlight. 

It’s a common problem, and usually can be fixed fairly easily and inexpensively. There are a lot of headlight restoration kits on the market now for all you do-it-yourselfers that you can buy at auto parts stores and even at Walmart and Target.

The kits range from polishes that you wipe on and off — which don’t last quite as long — to actual sand and polish kits that take a little longer but have better results. 

Headlights can range anywhere from $75 to thousands of dollars each to replace them.  These days you have to buy the whole light as an assembly, you cannot buy just the lens, which is why it is much less expensive just to repair them. 

It takes about an hour to do both sides, which includes masking them up, sanding them with a fine grit sandpaper, and then polishing them afterwards to get that new glossy look.  If you don’t feel like taking this project on yourself, we will gladly help you out...FOR FREE!  Just stop by Apex Auto Center Inc. and we can do a headlight clean up for you right on the spot.

-Apex Auto Center Inc.
(5-7-2018)

"I need a Rental Car!"

You got hit by a car and you don't have rental on your own policy...what now?

Being in an accident is always hectic.  You need to worry about your health, the health of the others involved in the accident, the cars and what to do next.  You finally get around to brining your car to the best shop in town and then you realize you need a rental.  As a victim in an accident due, to another person's negligence, you have the right to recoup the costs associated with fixing the disruption you experience.

"So does that mean their insurance will pay for me to have a rental?"
Yes!  As a victim it is your right to compensate the costs. Including all of the costs of renting a vehicle while your own vehicle is being repaired. 

-Apex Auto Center Inc.
(5-26-2017)