Yes, Yes…everyone hates door dings and let’s face it, they are hard to avoid.

Whether you’re driving to work, grocery store or the dental office, chances are you’re going to have to park your vehicle in a parking space next to other vehicles. And when you’re pressed for time, you simply ignore what you know could very well happen.

We can all do our best to try and avoid them as best as possible and your first step is to slow your roll!! Your go-go-go habit will invite every ding your vehicle gets. Here are some valuable ways to help avoid them by being patient and assessing your surrounds before choosing a parking spot.

Look at the end, not the beginning.

Try and find an end spot or walk a little ways out rather than taking the first spot you see. The end spot is generally the safest bet in a crowded lot. If you don’t mind walking some to your final destination, park further out, regardless of how many cars are on the lot when you pull in. You are responsible for and can only control your actions. So, the best protection from dings is to park away from carts, other people, and driveways crowded with someone else’s vehicle.

Far Far Away is the way?

Consider parking farther away from your destination. The odds of someone crowding in next to your vehicle and giving you door dings are more remote.

Measure with you eyes before you park.

When you’re pulling into a parking space, look at the length of the doors on the neighboring vehicle(s). If they are fully extended, can they reach your vehicle? Be your own line of first defense!

How tall is your neighbor?

Look at the height of the vehicle you are parking next to. If it’s a taller SUV, the doors may catch your side view mirrors and ding higher than the usual center and the higher portion of your door has seam lines and curves that will be more costly to repair then a simple dent removal. Your better off moving to another spot

Be a detective!

Always look at the car next to you and determine if there may be passengers, especially in shopping centers and malls. This may affect which side of the vehicle you park on. If you’re at work and figure there are no passengers, parking on the passenger side of that car can be better as there is less chance of those doors being opened. Be sure to also pay attention to the door lines if they have the rubber door ding moldings. Not that it will stop them from hitting your vehicle, but the chances of dings are less when it protected with rubber bump moldings.

Sometimes, you’re asking for it!

If you have to take a parking space where another car is crowding one side of the space, you’ll have to decide how best to handle that risk. But never park crooked or at an angle because someone is crowding the space. When that car leaves, you will look like the one who can’t park. Always try to park straight.

Think like a parent.

Check for child seats in a neighboring car, as that may increase your risk of door dings. Remember that for a parent to safely and properly secure their child into the car seat, they normally need to fully extend their doors and not pay attention. This could be a good sign to find another space.

Be a weather reporter.

If rain or storms are in the forecast, Look for covered parking. If there is a potential for rain and hail. One major cause of dings ins hail damage. It can be a very costly repair, should your entire vehicle get hit with small to large balls of ice.

No matter how hard you try, in the end, a door dent here and there may be inevitable. If you can’t stand the sight of them, there are companies that perform pointless dent repairs that are mobile. If you have multiple clusters of dings, you can call your insurance and submit them under your comprehensive coverage. The dent removal method is unique and very affective; it uses special tools to push the dent out from the inside, without the need for painting the dent. It’s a clean fix, and many times the repair can be performed while you wait. For dings that cannot be pulled out and appear as minor scratches in the paint, automotive stores may have products to help you conceal the damage.

empowerment will achieve more than forced reflection