Local auto body shops are seeing the first wave in an onslaught of damaged cars following the season's first snow.
Dwight Jewett, owner of Auto Collision Service in
“On a normal versus now, we are probably up at least 40 percent,” said Jewett.
Among the casualties are many SUVs, unprotected by four-wheel drive.
“Someone just told me recently, an all-wheel drive is an all-wheel slide,” said Jewett.
Indiana State Police responded to 46 crashes during December 1-5, 2010. Nine of those accidents involved injuries, and one of them was deadly. During the same time last year, ISP responded to just two total accidents.
“All you had to do was just tap your breaks, and you could instantly kick the ABS in and feel the car sliding around on it,” said JC Study, general manager at Collision Revision in
Study says much of the storm's damage hasn't come in yet.
“We'll see a lot of the smaller ones show up weeks after a storm like this goes through,” said Study. “It's usually the major impacts that cause cars to be non-drivable that will get them to our door quick.”
Auto body work usually dies down as winter progresses. But right now, some people still aren't used to slowing down.
“We're too busy, we're too hectic,” said Jewett. “We get a little smarter as it goes on, but for right now we're driving too fast.”
Police have emphasized that ice and snow only contribute to accidents, and that the real cause stems from drivers not slowing down.
