Everywhere you look, prices are going up. This includes car accidents. A recent study by the NHTSA reveals that the cost to repair crashed cars in 2019 was $340 billion. This works out to $1,035 each, in terms of higher insurance premiums, taxes, travel delays, wasted fuel and more.
We have a car collision repair shop in Middleboro, and we have to say those numbers seem low. The past four years have included a global pandemic, expensive advances in automotive technology, and increased rates of distracted driving. This is the perfect storm to create escalating repair costs.
The Global Pandemic: Impact on Auto Body & Repair Shops
Starting with the January 2020 declaration of a global COVID pandemic and continuing up until the current day, supply chain interruptions have plagued the auto body and repair shop industry. Automotive parts and components have been difficult to source. Limited supplies result in higher prices. Thankfully this situation has begun to resolve.
Expensive Advances in Automotive Technology
Driver assist technology helps keep drivers safer on the road – but this safety comes with a price. The sensors that make the technology work are concealed within the front and rear bumper assembly. This is unfortunately an area of the car that tends to suffer damage frequently in accidents. It is often not possible to repair bumper damage that occurs in the area of the sensors. Instead, bumper replacement is the only option.
An Increase in Distracted Driving: A Danger to Us All
Distracted driving is defined as operating a vehicle without paying full attention to what you’re doing. For example, if you’re texting back and forth with a friend while you’re driving, you’re distracted. You are paying attention to the conversation and not to the driver who just merged into traffic in front of you. Nine percent of all fatal crashes are attributable to distracted driving, which is the highest that number has been in quite some time.