Weeks of slick roads keep auto shops busy

With weeks of snow unseasonable cold temperatures in the forecast, the snow and ice on side streets and in parking lots across Central Oregon aren’t going away anytime soon.

With the recent snow and icy roads, local auto body shops are busy, some shops have even brought in extra help to deal with the workload.

“We do bring in people to help out during the busy season so we can get people back into their cars in a timely manner,” Ben Nolan, manager at Robberson Collision Center in Bend, said Wednesday.

Nolan says once the snow and ice hit, business began to pick up.

“We definitely see a lot more suspension impacts — people going through a roundabout and not being able to turn going in, where they take out control arms, suspension pieces, wheels, that sort of thing,” said Nolan.

Experts say if you are even in a minor fender bender, take your car to an auto repair shop. Most of them will do an assessment for free.

Most new cars have some sort of foam core behind the bumper and there could be damage you don’t even notice.

“If those have already been compromised, if you are in an accident again, the vehicle is not going to act the way it should safety-wise, so it’s a good idea to get all those taken care of or replaced,” said Nolan.

As technicians work to get your car fixed and back on the road, they offer one familiar but still important piece of advice: Drive smart on the slick Central Oregon roads.