Whether you're driving to the grocery store, work, or the doctor's office, chances are you're going to have to park your vehicle in a parking space, next to other vehicles. Here are 8 ways to help avoid door dings on your car or truck by assessing your surroundings before choosing a parking spot. And remember, the experts at American Dent Specialists are here to fix a dent with our paintless dent repair, pdr, or mobile dent repair services. 

• Try to find an end spot or walk a little way out. The end spot is generally the safest bet in a crowded lot. If you don’t mind walking some to your final destination, park further out, where there are very few to no cars. You are responsible for and can only control your actions. So, the best protection from door dings is to park away from carts, other people, and driveways crowded with someone else’s vehicle. 
• Consider parking farther away from your destination. The odds of someone crowding in next to your vehicle are more remote.
• Before you pull into a space, look at the length of the doors on the neighboring vehicle(s). If they are fully extended, can they reach your vehicle?
• Look at the height of the vehicle you are parking next to. If it's another vehicle similar in height to yours and if your car has protective rubber door moldings, those moldings may protect your car's doors. Since SUVs and trucks are taller, their doors may cause dents higher than your moldings can protect, so you're better off moving to another spot.
• Always look at the car next to you and determine if there may be passengers, especially in shopping centers and malls. This may affect which side of the vehicle you park on. If you're at work and figure there are no passengers, parking on the passenger side of that car can be better as there is less chance of those doors being opened.
• If you have to take a parking space where another car is crowding one side of the space, you'll have to decide how best to handle that risk. But never park crooked or at an angle because someone is crowding the space. When that car leaves, you will look like the one who can't park. Always try to park straight.
• Check for child seats in a neighboring car, as that may increase your risk of a ding. Remember that for a parent to properly strap their child in a car seat, they normally need to fully extend their doors. This could be a good sign to find another space.
• Look for covered parking if there is a potential for rain and hail. One cause of vehicle dings is hail damage. It can be a very costly repair, should your entire vehicle get hit with small to large balls of hail causing auto hail damage. Try to avoid taking your car out of the garage when a hailstorm is approaching or try to park your vehicle under cover if you must go out, or if you’re already out. Also, consider a canvas car protector cover. You can always throw it over your parked vehicle when you have no other coverage options.

If you do everything right, sometimes a door dings or dent will still happen. That is where the peace of mind of knowing about American Dent Specialists pdr, dent removal services come in handy. We can quickly repair this annoying little door dings, in most instances, while you wait!