3 Things to think about before adding holiday car decorations

It’s getting very common to add holiday car decorations. It makes sense. Your car can often be a way to show off your personality. We hope this article will help you be informed about the risks that come with decorating modern vehicles.

Some people choose to be understated. A simple wreath or Rudolph’s red nose attached to the grille. Others go all out – practically wrapping their entire car in lights. It’s all great fun to look at and enjoy.

It might not be obvious but there are some real safety concerns. We’d like to let you know about a few if you’re thinking about decorating your modern car, truck, or SUV for the holidays.

Watch out for cameras

Many modern vehicles have more than just a rear-view camera. If you’re decorating your car’s front grill or mirrors, be sure your decorations don’t cover the cameras.

Blocking them can interfere with lane departure and auto-parking safety features. In recent years, automobile manufacturers have gotten really good at helping these cameras blend in. It can be easy to obstruct them without even knowing it.

Sensors aren’t always visible

If your vehicle has a self-driving feature or adaptive cruise control (where it automatically maintains the distance between you and other vehicles), there’s a good chance it has a complex sensor system. In many cases, these sensors can be hidden behind body panels and bumper covers. They’re often so sensitive that body shops like ours have to ensure the right thickness of paint is present so the sensors remain calibrated.

Wrapping the inside of your windshield with lights can give a really festive look to your car – and, those lights can interfere with light sensors attached to your interior mirror or on the dashboard. This can cause issues with the proper operation of your automatic lights and, in some cases, other safety features that rely on photo-receptors (and outward facing cameras).

Adding holiday stickers to your bumper can interfere with these kinds of sensors. If you’ve got a wreath on the front of your car and it has a hanging ribbon, there’s a good chance at least part of it could cover an important sensor.

In some cases, your car may alert you that one of the safety features is impaired. You should check to be sure there are no decorations that might be interfering with visible or hidden equipment. If you have any doubts, have your vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic.

One more thing about adding holiday car decorations…

If you’re going to decorate your car, make sure you’re paying close attention to how they move when your car is moving at different speeds.

Holiday decorations that look great when the car is sitting still can change when you’re driving. The wind passing over the car can bend, twist, and shake even the most secure decorations.

Our team is wishing you a happy – and safe – holiday season!

About Automotive Collision Specialists in Fuquay Varina, NC

Automotive Collision Specialists works with select insurance companies. In North Carolina, you have the right to choose any repair shop – not the one an insurance company requires you to use.

If you’re trying to find a good auto body repair shop because your holiday decorations (or somebody else’s!) didn’t work out as planned and led to a collision, please give us a call. We’ve been serving neighbors in and near the local Fuquay-Varina, NC community for more than 30 years.

We’re ASE and I-CAR certified and offer a limited lifetime warranty on all the work we do. Call us today at 919-552-0333 to see how we can help!