Winter weather keeps Utah auto body shops busy
Jan 10, 2023, 10:21 PM | Updated: 10:31 pm
RIVERTON, Utah — It’s a good thing Fix Auto in Riverton has thick walls. Otherwise, those who live and work nearby would hear how busy they are all day every day.
“We’re extremely busy. We got more cars than we can possibly know what to do with,” Jeremiah Davidson said. “These are all the cracked bumpers, doors, fenders, hoods, all that stuff.”
Davidson is the manager at Fix Auto and says ever since that first snowstorm this winter, business has been non-stop.
The parking lot in front of their building, to the side, and even behind is full of cars waiting for repairs.
“We have just been stacking them in sideways, whatever little hole we can find, we just put them right there. So, yeah, it has been busy, busy, busy with all these snowstorms.”
All these snowstorms have been great for business. However, he also worries about how people are driving in them. His family is out on those roads, too.
“I love the snow, but I am praying that it doesn’t snow because it causes a lot of accidents,” he said.
The snow is one reason, but Davidson also feels there is an even bigger blame for all these winter accidents.
“I think the biggest reason why is because the state did away with the safety inspection on cars so people are driving around with bald tires,” Davidson said.
Utah state lawmakers eliminated safety inspections for personal vehicles in 2017.
Ever since, and especially when it snows, Davidson says he notices several crashed cars coming in with bald tires, bad brakes, and other simple maintenance issues that could have been caught with a safety inspection.
“If you don’t maintain your car, it’s not going to be safe, and you can get in an accident just because it wasn’t maintained properly,” he said.
Of course, there are generally more slide-offs and crashes during winter months. He notices that at his shop, especially this season.
But he feels some of those crashes could have been avoided.
“Just make sure you have got proper tires on your cars,” he said.
As much as he loves the extra business, he would rather everyone be safe out there.
