There are few things the owner of any car, let alone a top-of-the-range model, despises more than damaged paintwork. While punctures, loose exhausts and chipped windscreens are all unfortunate facts of life, there is something about the loss of an immaculate appearance of colour that truly grates.
Of course, this is much worse if the damage has been inflicted deliberately. But there are many ways it can happen by accident too.
Sometimes this can be caused by a seasonal factor, such as ice on a wintry road that causes you to slide into something. But damage can occur at any time of year - and the summer will bring its own perils.
While drivers will watch out for the perennial pothole perils of the UK’s roads (these are at least more visible when it stays light for longer), there are many driving risks specific to the summer, as outlined by the AA.
Some of these are about issues like overheating, rather than ways you can have a mishap that scratches the paintwork or causes more severe damage - such as the increased chance of collisions due to heavy traffic on occasions like bank holidays or the dangers of having an accident due to the glare of the sun.
To this may be added the risk of bumps and scrapes in crowded car parks and even the dangers of parking next to a cricket ground when someone is in a six-hitting mood. If you visit the coast, your car may be more at risk from bird droppings, especially from seagulls that swarm around looking to scavenge food from humans on the seafront.
This is where paint protection film can be invaluable. It adds an extra layer of polyurethane that protects against chips, scratches, bird droppings and even the effects of UV radiation.
In the last case, this can be one of the biggest summer issues of all. The sun’s rays may be pleasantly warming in summer, but they also have the effect of gradually drying out and damaging car paintwork, just as it can burn human skin.
While paintwork is more robust than skin, there are some particular things in common - like the reds suffering the most. Just as redheads need more high-factor sun cream than most, red paint is most prone to being damaged by the sun. Other colours can suffer to different extents, with white, as ever, being the colour best able to reflect the sun back.
While motorists can help their cars by keeping them in the shade, this is not always possible, especially when it is not in your own garage but an open-air car park or simply on the road.
On average, it can take between five and ten years to fade the paintwork, but paint protection film can help slow this process.
Given what it can also do to protect against other threats to your paintwork this summer - not to mention at other times of the year - this could be an invaluable investment, helping keep your car’s paintwork looking pristine for much longer.
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