When you care about your car, it’s only natural to keep it in good condition. There may come a time when wild animals do some unexpected damage to your ride. Fortunately, you can protect your vehicle from wildlife by following these tips.
Drive Carefully
As sad as it is, one of the most common causes of damage to a vehicle comes from directly hitting an animal while driving. Running over small animals like squirrels may damage your tires or rear shocks, while hitting large animals like deer can cause significant body damage that requires heavy repairs. Obviously, you and the animals are not at fault. The best way to avoid collisions with wildlife is to drive carefully, give yourself plenty of time to react, and try to move out of the way whenever you see an animal in the road.
Clean Your Car
Animals can really mess up your car, with an emphasis on the “mess.” It’s unavoidable for bugs to splatter against your car while driving, and depending on luck and where you park or drive, birds may leave you some unwanted presents. Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do when birds damage your car’s paint job.
We recommend regularly cleaning your vehicle so that the caked-on residue doesn’t corrode the paint. You may also want to invest in a wax or protective cover to make bird droppings easier to rinse off.
Keep Cars Indoors
Naturally, the best way to protect your vehicle from wildlife is to keep animals away from your car altogether. If you live in an area with a lot of wild animals, keep your car in a garage or other type of parking structure that animals avoid or can’t enter. If you don’t have access to a safe storage area for your vehicle, invest in a tarp or protective cover.
