Although you may not know it, car collisions at low to moderate speeds do result in serious damages. Therefore, you should be very careful of the drivers behind and ahead of you even if the traffic is moving slowly. Here are some of the damages your car may sustain at those speeds.

Bumper

Bumper damage is inevitable because, in most cases, it is the outermost part of the car. This means that even in a collision that involves the least contact possible, the bumper will not be spared. The cost of repairing a bumper varies depending on the extent of the damage, type of car, and material of the bumper. For example, the total cost of replacing a typical passenger car bumper ranges from $300 to $1,600.

Lights

The lights tend to get damaged because they aren't as strong as the rest of the car's body. Ideally, the bumpers should protect the lights from collision damage, especially in low-speed collisions. Unfortunately, this may only be the case with cars of similar build. In crashes that involve SUVs and cars, the bigger cars' bumpers tend to override those of the smaller ones, and lights damage is inevitable.

Cooling System

A moderate crash can also result in cooling system damage. For example, damage to the radiator may lead to leakage of the cooling fluid. A small leak can be repaired in a professional collision repair shop, but a serious one may require a replacement of the radiator. The cost of repairing the cooling system depends on the part and nature of the damage.

Paint

The paint is the car's outermost layer, and it covers almost every part of the vehicle. This means that as long as there is contact, paint damage will be inevitable. It may be a small scratch or a big one, but you will still have to paint it. As you would expect, this cost varies widely depending on the size of the area to be painted. As a broad guide for small scratches, expect to spend anything between $50 to $300 and $150 and $200 for the paint and service charge respectively.

Airbag

Airbags are designed to deploy during moderate to severe collisions. A moderate collision is anything above eight miles per hour. Again, the price you pay for fixing the damage depends on its extent. For example, if an airbag deployed, but it wasn't damaged, you can reinstall it at an average cost of $1,000; expect to spend more if you need a new airbag.

These few examples just go to show why you shouldn't underestimate the cost of repairing your car after a collision at low to moderate speeds. Contact a local shop, like Lombard Body & Fender Inc, with any repair questions.