Do slippery winter months translate into more bucks for your bangs? Some local auto body shops say not really.
Tony Morice, GM of Passhelia’s West Loop Auto Body, says people drive more carefully and less frequently in the winter.
During the longer days of summer, “people are more risky [and] drive faster,” Morice said. “Summer months are the busiest time for body shops.”
Joe Maslanka, owner of the Northwest Side’s Accurate CARSTAR, gives Chicago’s active salt crews and plow trucks credit for depriving him of business by reducing collisions. Business picks up in January, he says, because car owners don’t want to spend gift money on car repairs in December if they aren’t immediately necessary. The frigid days of February bring fewer accidents because nobody wants to go outdoors.
“Nobody smashes their car when it’s just sitting in the garage,” Maslanka said.
He also wants to debunk the illusion that SUV drivers are the kings of the road.
“Some of the guys [in SUVs] have a propensity to test their invincibility in the weather that they’ve been waiting for,” Maslanka said. “And then find out that when it comes to turning, they’re in the same boat as a lot of other people.”
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Edited by Jane Hirt (jhirt@tribune.com) and Patrick Olsen (polsen@tribune.com)
