Does Car Insurance Cover Salt Damage?
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Learn How to Prevent Salt Damage on Your Vehicle This Winter!
The winter season is about to go into full swing, and motorists are naturally concerned about road safety. Thankfully, local and state authorities are on standby, ready to plow, sand, and salt the roads to ensure safe driving. Salt is used to lower the freezing point of water, thus preventing hazardous ice from forming on roads.
However, while salting is integral to keeping the roads safe during winter, it can also cause significant damage to vehicles. Unless you take precautionary measures, you might find yourself dealing with a rusty car exterior and massive repairs that could cost you thousands of dollars.
How Does Road Salt Damage Your Car?
Salt is a corrosive substance. Whenever it comes into contact with water, it creates a chemical reaction known as oxidation. This reaction then causes rust to form on metal surfaces, such as the exterior of a vehicle.
Besides causing considerable damage to a vehicle’s paint job, salt can also wreak havoc on your car’s brake lines and other important components. Once these sensitive parts deteriorate and corrode, they can compromise your safety on the road. In addition, you’ll likely be hit with a bill for shockingly expensive repairs.
Does Car Insurance Cover Salt Damage?
The short answer is “no”. Road salt damage is considered normal wear and tear since it is caused by continued exposure to road salt.
Most car insurance policies cover only unexpected damages, such as those resulting from accidents or natural disasters. Insurance companies might not cover the cost of repairing salt damage since it is an “expected” phenomenon.
How to Prevent Salt Damage
Since auto insurance typically doesn’t cover salt damages, you’ll want to protect your vehicle from road salt’s destructive effects. Goodwill Car Donations is here to help you do just that with these tips:
- Avoid driving before or after a snowstorm.
Avoid driving before, during, or after a snowstorm if you can. Highway authorities are more likely to layer the roads with salt in anticipation of extreme weather.
- Wash your car regularly.
Wash your car at least once a week to remove salt traces from its exterior. After driving your car during a snowstorm, you need to wash your vehicle immediately once the storm has passed. While at it, ensure that your tires and undercarriage are clean and salt-free.
- Wax your vehicle’s exterior.
Since waxing your car’s exterior allows you to create a barrier against salt, it prevents corrosion. For this reason, experts recommend waxing your vehicle at least once every six months.
- Avoid puddles.
Puddles during winter are a reservoir for salt. If you’re driving, it’s best to avoid going over them to avoid splashes of salted water on your car.
- Prep your vehicle for winter.
The best way to prevent salt damage is to prep your vehicle for winter ahead of time. Before the authorities apply salt on roads, wax your car and fix the chips of paint and scrapes on it. These areas are prime targets for salt damage and rust.
What to Do If Your Car Is No Longer Safe to Drive?
Is your old beater compromising your safety on the road? If you no longer feel safe driving it during the winter months, consider handing it over to us at Goodwill Car Donations. We’ll turn it into a powerful tool for transforming the lives of disadvantaged individuals in your community.
Our team will have it fixed before selling it through an auction. We’ll use the proceeds to fund the community-based life-improvement programs of the Goodwill organizations serving your area. These IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are committed to helping destitute Americans who are burdened with disabilities, lack of education, job experience, or essential skills, and other limiting personal circumstances, such as being a former inmate or welfare-dependent.
Your local Goodwill organizations use the funding we give them to provide their beneficiaries with job and skills training, employment opportunities, scholarships, livelihood assistance, disability benefits, family support, educational services, financial assistance, and many other essential support services.You won’t be going home empty-handed after making your donation. You’ll enjoy awesome rewards such as getting entitled to claim the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season. You’ll also benefit from the free professional towing service that we’ll provide you regardless of where you’re located in the country.
Best of all, you’ll find great satisfaction in doing something that will benefit your entire community when once-idle members attain financial stability and live productive and fulfilling lives.
We accept almost all vehicle types, including those that are damaged or no longer working properly.
For more details about our easy and convenient donation process, visit our FAQs page. You can also call us through our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 866-233-8586 or leave us a message here for your inquiries or concerns.
You Can Be a Local Hero Today!
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Why hold on to an old and unwanted vehicle when you can use it to help the less fortunate people in your community attain financial stability and live productive lives? Call Goodwill Car Donations at 866-233-8586 or fill out our secure online donation form now!
Last Updated: May 11th, 2023