With winter approaching, you need to prepare your car for the elements. Between frequent snow storms, icy roadways, and freezing temperatures, your car can take a hit if it isn’t ready. Luckily, the winter accessories we’ve listed below make your car safer and more secure when you’re driving through Randolph, Stoughton, and Brockton this season.
Engine Block Heater
When a polar vortex hits, your engine may need an extra boost to get started in the morning. An engine block heater does just that. By warming the coolant or engine oil, a block heater reduces stress on your engine, warms up the cabin quickly, and thins out oil after a cold start.
Winter Tires
Winter tires are a major asset when driving through a snowstorm. They’re manufactured with an elastic rubber compound that remains flexible when temperatures fall below freezing, and they have thicker, deeper tread depths to improve your grip on slippery road surfaces. With winter tires, you can drive with confidence through a snowstorm in Stoughton, Randolph, or Brockton.
Invest in the Right Windshield Wipers
With New England’s frequent snow and freezing rain, it’s important to purchase windshield wiper blades that prevent ice buildup and maintain optimal visibility. We recommend investing in windshield wipers equipped with a protective rubber encasing to clear away ice and winter debris for a crystal clear view of the road ahead.
All-Season Floor Mats
Between mud, slush, and road salt, your car’s interior is prone to staining during winter months. However, all-season floor mats can protect your car from winter sludge.
Floor mats come with thick vinyl or durable rubber designed to trap slush and dirt and are a cheap way to protect your carpet this winter. Most are washable as well, so you can rinse and reuse them after any excursion.
Winter Weather Emergency Kit
Blizzards and ice storms in New England are unpredictable at best. If you’re ever stranded in your car during inclement weather, a winter emergency kit can keep your passengers safe until help arrives.
Your kit should include an ice scraper, tire chains, gloves, sand, basic hand tools, paper towels, booster cables, flares or reflective triangles, a small shovel, a cell phone, and first aid supplies. We also recommend keeping food, extra clothes, a blanket, and bottled water in your vehicle so you’re prepared for the worst.
Get Your Winter Accessories at Collision 24
Harsh winter weather in Stoughton, Brockton, and Randolph can be rough on your car if you’re unprepared. Stop by Collision 24, conveniently located at 97 Manley Street in Brockton, to pick up winter car accessories that improve visibility, traction, and handling on winter’s slippery roads. We’re open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am to 12 pm Saturday.
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton, Massachusetts is a Boston suburb with its own unique character. Nicknamed the “Birthplace of American Liberty,” Stoughton was settled in 1713 as an agricultural town before blossoming into a prosperous industrial center. Today, Stoughton boasts a thriving community with a rich history, especially with its proximity to Boston, Providence, and Cape Cod. We recommend visiting the Mary Baker Eddy Historical House or the Stoughton Bookshop the next time you’re in town.
Towing Services at Collision 24 Near Stoughton
It’s frightening when you’re stranded on a cold, dark backroad in Stoughton after your car breaks down — especially if a friend or family member can’t be reached to help you. Emergency situations arise when you least expect them while driving, so it’s important to have a reliable towing company near Stoughton to assist you when they do.
If you’re ever left in a lurch in Stoughton, Brockton, or Randolph call Collision 24 at (508) 586-2010 for our round-the-clock towing services. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to transport you to safety, get your car off the road, and make any subsequent repairs your car needs. Our friendly, courteous drivers are dedicated to timely and convenient towing services near Stoughton, and will be quick to arrive on the scene as soon as you call.
We consider ourselves a team of first responders for drivers in Stoughton who need immediate assistance. Whether you were in an accident, have a flat tire, or ran out of gas, Collision 24 will be there to help.
We have a wide variety of tow trucks, depending on what your situation calls for. One of our most popular choices includes a flat-bed tow truck, which uses a hydraulic system to move the bed up and down easily. This way, we can secure your car quickly and easily so we can transport it to our shop in Brockton.
When emergencies arise on Stoughton’s roadways, Collision 24 is in your corner. Call us anytime, day or night, and we’ll be there to take you and your car to safety.
Call Collision 24 if You Need a Towing Company Near Stoughton
With our round-the-clock towing, Collision 24 is here for residents in Stoughton, Brockton, and Randolph. Whether you were in an accident or your car is broken down, Collision 24 is happy to assist you with our 24/7 towing services. You can call us at (508) 586-2010 the next time you need a towing service near Stoughton.
If your car requires maintenance afterwards, our body shop offers a wide variety of repair and replacement services. Click here to view our list of vehicle restorations and reparations.
Directions to Collision 24 in Brockton from Stoughton
Collision24 is a fifteen minute drive south of Stoughton, conveniently located at 97 Manley Street, Brockton, Massachusetts, 02301.
From Stoughton, Take Perry Street to MA-138/MA-27 S. Continue on MA-27 S. Take MA-24 S to Manley Street in Brockton. Turn right onto Manley Street, and Collision 24 will be on the right.
Cars equipped with worn all-season tires tend to slip and slide when driving around Brockton, Randolph, and Stoughton during winter, making them vulnerable to accidents and collisions.
Collision 24 is no stranger to the toll that New England winters can take on vehicles, which is why we recommend investing in winter tires that provide extra traction for snow, ice, and sleet.
You may be wondering about the differences between winter and all-season tires and why we recommend choosing winter tires for the coming season. If so, don’t worry. We break it down for you right here. Keep reading for more information.
What’s Wrong with My All-Season Tires?
During spring, summer, and fall, all-season tires are great. They provide versatility and durability, but frankly, they aren’t manufactured for winter driving.
Constructed with a firm rubber, all-season tires stiffen once temperatures drop, resulting in a lack of traction and friction. Their treads are also prone to snow buildup, causing your performance to deteriorate even further.
While they may be sufficient for warmer climates, your all-season tires are no match for icy roadways and frequent snowstorms in Stoughton, Randolph, and Brockton. It’s best to switch them out before the next blizzard hits so you can drive safely.
Do Winter Tires Live Up to the Hype?
Winter tires improve your fuel economy and handling in frigid, icy conditions thanks to their elastic rubber compound and deep treads. With these features, winter tires remain flexible in harsh conditions, helping you to maintain control when you need it most.
Winter tires are designed to dispel water and slush from the road, providing extra grip and traction on slippery surfaces. They also have a shorter stopping distance than all-season tires in winter months, requiring 30 to 40% less time to slow down in emergencies. If you’re sliding or hydroplaning, just steer gently and slow down, and you’ll regain traction quickly.
Should I Invest in Winter Tires?
When it comes to safety, winter tires are an asset you don’t want to pass up. There’s no question that winter tires make a big difference in your car’s seasonal performance, and we recommend them highly for this upcoming winter.
Consider Quebec, where winter tires are required by law. Since that policy was enacted in 2008, winter collisions went down by 17%, while serious accidents went down by 36%. New England boasts a similar climate, so we advise you make the investment for your safety.
If you live in Stoughton, Randolph or Brockton, where average winter temperatures are under 45 degrees, you should definitely get winter tires. We recommend using them from Thanksgiving to Easter and storing them in a cool, dry, dark area during warmer months. Keep them in a black trash bag to prevent oxidation so you can use them in the future.
Buy Winter Tires at Collision 24
If you’re interested in putting winter tires on your car, stop by Collision 24 and we’ll take care of the rest. We’re conveniently located at 97 Manley Street in Brockton. Call us or schedule your appointment online.
Driving through a New England ice storm or blizzard isn’t for the faint of heart. And after the greater Boston area’s record-breaking winter in 2015, you’re probably wondering how you can make your vehicle safer and more secure before the next polar vortex.
If that’s the case, we’ve put together a list of ways to winterize your car and prevent weather-related accidents from happening in Stoughton, Brockton, or Randolph. Keep reading to learn more.
Invest in Winter Tires
Winter tires provide the extra road grip and traction you need on slick, icy surfaces after a snowstorm. Made with a unique elastic rubber compound, winter tires stay flexible and durable, allowing you to maintain directional control on the roadway.
Tune Your Engine
Cold weather worsens any engine problems. A cold snap can do some serious damage, especially if you’re low on oil or experiencing mechanical problems. When you need an engine tune-up, schedule a maintenance appointment at Collision 24 and we’ll make any repairs or replacements you need.
Check Your Battery Often
Winter weather and drained car batteries go hand in hand, especially if your car’s electrical system is low on charge. We recommend visiting a mechanic on a regular basis to ensure your battery is charged, secure, clean, and ready to go.
Check Your Exhaust System for Leaks
Most people drive with their windows up in the winter, which makes exhaust leaks extremely dangerous. Dangerous fumes, including carbon monoxide, could get caught in your cabin, leading to severe health consequences if they’re not addressed. Before you start driving, make sure that your exhaust pipe is free of ice, snow, and other residue.
Don’t Skip That Oil Change
If your car gets low on oil this winter, your engine is more prone to locking up, as it’s especially sensitive to cold weather. Make sure that you change your car’s oil every three months and replace its filter at recommended intervals.
It’s also best to use thinner motor oil if you live in areas where outside temperatures fall below freezing. It puts less stress on your engine and keeps it running properly.
Check Your Braking System
Brakes are an essential safety feature on your vehicle, especially on icy and slippery roadways. Check your brake fluid levels, rotors, hoses, lines, and pads to make sure that everything is aligned and working the way it should be.
Buy the Right Windshield Wipers
It’s recommended that drivers replace their windshield wipers every six months, especially before winter hits. In areas prone to heavy snow, such as Randolph, Stoughton, or Brockton, it’s best to buy rubber-clad windshield wipers to prevent ice from building up.
Winterize Your Car at Collision 24
If you need to prepare your vehicle for winter in Stoughton or Randolph, make a service appointment at Collision 24 in Brockton.
Airbags are an essential safety feature on cars, trucks, and SUVs that reduce impact from accidents and collisions in Stoughton, Brockton, and Randolph. They are designed to create a buffer between the vehicle’s hard surface and the passengers during a crash, effectively protecting occupants against debris, sharp objects, and a crash’s impact. Airbags can be deployed as fast as 200 miles per hour and open in a fraction of a second.
Car manufacturers are required to include airbags on each of their models, even though some people believe they may actually increase the risk of injury in a crash. In most cases where people were injured by airbags, they weren’t wearing their seatbelts or weren’t sitting in their cars properly. These injuries could have been prevented if the passengers had taken proper precautions. Overall, airbags provide a major advancement in car safety and have saved thousands of lives since being introduced into the market.
We’ve debunked several of the myths surrounding airbags, which we examine more closely for you, below:
Myth 1: Airbags Can Suffocate Passengers
Airbags could knock the wind out of you, but they won’t deprive you of oxygen during an accident. After being deployed, an airbag only remains inflated for a few seconds before decompressing. Several airbags are manufactured with pores in them anyway, so that air can still pass through even if the airbag is inflated.
Myth 2: Airbags Can Kill You
The number of deaths contributed to airbags are a fraction of the number of lives saved by them. In most cases where people were killed by airbags, passengers weren’t wearing their seatbelts correctly. Other deaths caused by airbags could have been avoided if passengers were sitting in their seats properly.
Myth 3: Airbags Can Kill Kids
Unfortunately, some children have been killed by airbags, but their deaths could have been avoided if they were properly secured inside the vehicle. Children sitting in rear-facing child seats in the front are at greater risk of injury from airbags.
Luckily, there are some simple precautions you can take to protect your children from an airbag’s impact. Always put your children in the backseat and strap them securely in their seatbelts. You should also keep rear-facing car seats out of an airbag’s pathway. If a child has to sit in the front seat, push the seat back as far as possible and instruct them not to lean forward.
Myth 4: Airbags are the Most Important Safety Feature on a Car
Airbags can mean the difference between life and death, but there are several safety features on a car that can prevent accidents from happening in the first place. Airbags by themselves aren’t enough to protect you and your passengers in an accident.
Staying Safe with Airbags
Airbags represent a major advancement in vehicle safety for drivers in Stoughton, Randolph, and Brockton. However, it is important to take precaution anytime you step foot inside of a vehicle and properly secure each occupant — especially young children. If you have any additional concerns, check out our Frequently Asked Questions about Airbags page.
At Collision 24 in Brockton, we do everything we can to restore your car to mint condition after an accident. Not only do we repair damage to your car’s equipment under the hood, we also make sure that your car’s exterior looks as good as new by the time it leaves our garage. If your car’s paint is scuffed, scratched, or smudged, we use a computerized paint matching system to give your vehicle a lustrous, sleek finish.
Before our computerized system, obtaining a car’s exact paint color was nearly impossible. Some cars would leave body shops with an uneven, irregular finish after an accident because the paint technicians couldn’t find a correct color match. But with our innovative technology, that will no longer be a problem. Finding the perfect paint color couldn’t be any easier with our paint matching system.
How Computerized Paint Matching Works
Computerized paint matching makes car restorations simple, convenient, and straightforward. All we have to do is find the car’s color code, the car’s model number, and the year it was produced. That information is available on your manufacturer’s website for you to take to your body shop.
We will also run your vehicle through our paint matching system to get the right paint code each and every time. Not only does the computer find the code, it also evaluates the texture so our paint technicians can give your car a smooth and even finish. At Collision 24, vehicle repairs and paint restorations are easy.
If your car is older, the information may not be available online. Nonetheless, Collision 24’s mechanics will do their best to the find the right paint color for older models.
Collision 24 understands how frustrating it can be to fix your car after an accident. You may be afraid that your car won’t look the same or work properly once it’s out of the shop and back on the streets. However, you have nothing to worry about when you are working with us.
Each of our technicians strive for accuracy, convenience, and precision so that your car works the way it’s supposed to. When we’re given a job, we make sure we do it right the first time. With our computerized paint matching system, you’ll never be able to tell that your car was even in an accident in Brockton, Stoughton, or Randolph. Your car will leave our shop looking fresh and performing at its best.
Refresh Your Car’s Paint at Collision 24
Collision 24 has a team of dedicated and passionate paint technicians who will give your car the extra sheen it needs. Our computerized paint system makes touch-ups easier than ever before, and we’d love to show you how it works. Stop by our garage, located at 96 Manley Street in Brockton, Massachusetts, 02301, anytime you need fresh paint on your car. Schedule an appointment with us online, or give us a call at (508) 586-2010. Collision 24 will take care of all your post-accident repair needs.
It can be tricky navigating the aftermath of a car accident in Randolph or Stoughton, especially if more than one party was involved. Once you’ve checked for injuries, inspected for car damage, and moved to a safe location, it is important to collect the following information from the other driver for insurance purposes. Doing so will make the claim process a bit easier for both parties to navigate. We recommend keeping a pen and piece of paper in your glove box, along with your insurance information, in case an accident occurs. Here is a list of the insurance information you should get from the other driver immediately following a collision:
Basic Contact Information
Make sure you take down the party’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address after the accident. If the driver’s name is different from the name of the insured, determine the nature of their relationship and write down the information about each individual. The other party’s contact information is essential to filing your insurance claim and reaching a fair settlement.
Information from Witnesses
If there were any witnesses during the accident, you should write down their contact information as well. They may be able to help you if the other driver disputes the order of events or final outcome.
Information from Police Officers
Police reports aren’t always filed for minor accidents. However, if an officer does arrive on the scene, take down their name, badge or ID number, their phone number, and their police report number. You should also ask for a copy of the accident report for your records and your insurance claim. If the other driver disputes your account of events, the police report can provide an accurate account of what happened.
Information about the Car
Once you’ve taken down the other party’s name and contact information, gather as much information about their car as possible. Write down the make, model, and year of the car, along with its license plate number. If you have a camera with you, we recommend taking photos of the damage for evidence to support your claim. Make sure your photos document the overall context of the accident to strengthen your case. Pictures should include damage to your car, the location of the accident, and the people who were involved in the accident.
Information on the Insurance Provider
Finally, make sure you take down the other party’s insurance carrier and insurance policy number. This is arguably the most important information for filing your claim, determining fault, and the payment for damages. Make sure you know what your insurance policy is before an accident so that you’re familiar with your coverage areas.
Dealing with Post-Accident Repairs and Insurance
Car accidents are frightening, and the insurance claim process can be confusing for drivers in Brockton, Stoughton, and Randolph. Luckily, our guide goes over everything you should know about the information you need for insurance claims.
The next time you are in an accident that requires repairs, schedule a servicing appointment at Collision 24. We accept all major types of insurance to get your car back up and running again.