Collision shops brace for winter storm, more crashes

WICHITA, Kansas (KWCH) – As the Wichita Metro braces for six to nine inches of snow, Jaden Randle of Gerber Collision and Glass said he expects the already busy store to see more customers. Deteriorating conditions in Wichita began Tuesday evening with rain accompanying the dropping temperatures to make the roads slippery. The transition to overnight snow to Wednesday morning could cause more problems.

“We’re expecting a lot of fender benders if we get that much snow,” Randle said. “There probably won’t be a lot of speed, so hopefully the crashes won’t be too bad. But if we do get a light dusting it could be worse than expected, but we just don’t know what to expect. I haven’t seen many road treatments yet.

Randle said Gerber Collision and Glass sees more people coming through its doors after every snowstorm, and often the same issues lead to accidents.

“Not giving enough time to get to work, getting up late,” he said. “Make sure your car is defrosted so you can see in all directions, of course.”

Randle said a big problem that can often lead to weather-related crashes is distracted driving. With this, the main reasons drivers crash in the snow are driving too fast and poor visibility. Even a small mistake could cost you thousands of dollars.

“If you were to slip and hit a mailbox or a parked car, it could cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500,” Randle said. “But if you, you know, come to an intersection and get tangled up with somebody else, it could be up to $5,000 to $10,000, just depending on the make and model of the car. car and the severity of the impact.”

Another thing to keep in mind is that many stores are in lockdown due to COVID and lack of staff. So even a simple repair could take a lot longer to get your vehicle out of the shop.

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