To protect yourself against hit and run charges, no matter how minor an accident may seem, STOP IMMEDIATELY. If the car must be towed or there are injuries, report the accident to the police. Otherwise, write a description of the accident noting the date, time, other driver's information, witnesses, weather conditions and street names. Pictures of the scene are helpful too.

PAINT

How do you take care of fresh automotive paint?

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS

DO
· Wash the vehicle by hand with cool water and a very mild car wash solution using a soft cloth or sponge.
· Always use clean fresh water.
· Wash your vehicle in the shade

DON'T
· Do not use a commercial car wash. Stiff brushes or sponges that could mar the finish and damage the surface.
· Do not "dry wipe" your vehicle. Dry wiping can scratch the finish.
· Do not drive on gravel roads. Chipping the finish is easily done in the first 30 days.
· Avoid parking under trees and utility lines which are likely to attract birds. Bird droppings have a high acid content and will damage a freshly painted surface. Also, tree sap can mar or spot a freshly painted surface.
· Do not spill gasoline, oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, or windshield solvent on the new finish.
· Do not scrape ice or snow from the newly painted surface.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS

DON'T
· Do not wax or polish the vehicle. This will allow the finish to dry and harden completely.

TOWING

Not everyone has towing coverage on their insurance policy, but towing wrecked vehicles directly to Donahoo Collision can eliminate storage charges on repaired vehicles and the cost of two tows. One to the "tow garage" or your home, and another to Donahoo Collision. Because insurance companies usually only pay for the first tow, you can save both out-of-pocket money and inconvenience by having Donahoo Collision add the towing charges directly onto your estimate. When assisting at the scene of an accident, most police officers will help you place a call for a tow truck. Simply make your wishes to have your car towed to Donahoo Collision at 5665 Belair Road known to the officer in charge. MC-N-MC Towing (410-668-9945) does our 24 hour towing. If an insurance company deems your vehicle a total loss, the salvage yard contracted by the insurance company normally pays storage and tow charges.