As the temperatures continue to drop this week, drivers are being cautioned about the high expense of repairs when travelling in the winter conditions.
Because more extreme weather is predicted, the Met Office has extended its snow and ice warning for the UK until Thursday.
Three distinct yellow weather alerts were issued, impacting the east coast of England, sections of northern Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Today’s updated snow and ice warning covers far more ground, including all of Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as portions of northern England and Wales.
With the cold weather and icy roads, vehicles will be out across the country spreading grit and salt on roads to reduce the threat posed to drivers.
However, drivers are being warned that they could face a huge £5,000 repair bill when driving behind a gritter as the material can have a corrosive effect on the exterior of a car.
The gritting action’s salt accelerates the rusting process by causing corrosion to exposed metal and paintwork, which could lead to faster rusting of the vehicle.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said it could lead to chips and dents impacting the paintwork of the vehicle.
He added: “If rust damage is extensive, a full respray could cost you a whopping £5,000, depending on the type of car you drive and where you live, and the bill could be double that if you own a luxury or vintage vehicle.
“For other cars, if the damage is isolated to a bumper this will still cost you £280, and if you need to respray a side panel, this will cost £400 for each panel.
The expert also warned that it can have an impact on a person’s auto insurance because rust is typically regarded as wear and tear and isn’t covered by a regular policy.
Given that drivers already have to deal with exorbitant insurance costs, he claimed that this was even more of an incentive to stop rust from developing in the first place.
On Wednesday, January 17, and Thursday, January 18, the yellow weather warnings are anticipated to move further south as motorists get ready for probable traffic problems.