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Road De-Icers Cause $Three Billion Annually in Vehicle Rust Harm
Seventy percent of U.S. drivers at risk for costly, dangerous rust harm
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2017) – As the end of winter approaches, millions of Americans will face pricey vehicle repairs from rust harm caused by chemicals used to de-ice roadways. According to a fresh AAA survey, U.S. drivers paid an estimated $15.Four billion in rust repairs caused by de-icing methods over the last five years, or approximately $Trio billion annually. AAA warns drivers, especially the seventy percent (150 million) who live in areas affected by snow and ice, to take activity to prevent dangerous rust-related vehicle harm to brake lines, fuel tanks, harass systems and other critical vehicle components.
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“While the application of de-icing salts and solutions is critical to keeping our nation’s roadways safe every winter, it’s significant that drivers pay attention to warning signs that their vehicle may be suffering from rust-related harm,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “This can be much more than a cosmetic issue, it can also create serious safety issues for drivers by impacting brake lines, harass systems, fuel tanks and electrical connections.”
AAA strongly urges drivers who practice any of the following vehicle malfunctions to instantaneously stir the vehicle off the road to a safe location and have it towed to a trusted repair facility.
- In-dash warning lights for brakes and other critical systems.
- A “spongey” or soft feeling when applying pressure to the brake pedal.
- An unusually noisy harass sound or the smell of fumes in or around the vehicle.
- The prominent smell of gasoline or diesel fuel when the vehicle is parked or running.
In latest years, many state and local transportation departments have shifted from using rock salt to liquid de-icers to combat ice and snow on the roadways. These newer alternatives are more effective than traditional salt because they can be applied before a snowstorm, have a lower freezing point and melt ice and snow quicker. However, these same characteristics can be even more hurting to vehicles since the chemicals remain in liquid form longer and are more likely to glaze components and leak into cracks and crevices where corrosion can accelerate.
“In the last five years, twenty two million U.S. drivers have experienced rust harm to their cars due to salt and liquid de-icers,” continued Nielsen. “In addition to the safety risk, repairs to fix these problems are often costly, averaging almost $500 per occurrence.”
While some rust harm is unavoidable, AAA recommends drivers take the following preventative steps in order to reduce the possibility of vehicle harm:
- When possible, limit driving instantaneously before, during and after winter storms when salt and de-icing solutions are being applied and are at their highest concentrations.
- Frequently wash your vehicle, paying particular attention to the undercarriage. This will loosen, dissolve and neutralize road salts. Many drive-through car washes suggest an undercarriage rinse as an option.
- Always use a high-quality car wash solution, not a household dish detergent that will unwrap the paraffin wax from your vehicle.
- Repair any figure harm and touch up paint scrapes and chips that expose nude metal which could lead to rust.
- Before the begin of winter, scrupulously wash and clean your vehicle prior to the embark of winter and apply a decorate of paraffin wax to protect the finish.
- Give the entire vehicle and undercarriage one last cleaning in the spring. Any deposits left over from winter can proceed to cause corrosion year-round if not decently liquidated.