Raleigh bodyshops benefit from winter weather

It was crunch time last Friday at Raleigh Collision on New Bern Avenue. Workers were repairing triple the number of vehicles than normal, after snow and ice sent cars and trucks into trees and guardrails over the Christmas holiday weekend.

“What we’re talking about now at this particular shop is about a 17-day delay before we can even start repairing your car,” store manager Ryland Shaw said.

Between Dec. 26 and 28, when the snow and ice was at its worst, state troopers went out on more than 300 calls in Wake County. Normally, they respond to about 50 calls in three days.

“Fortunate for us, I guess you’d say. Unfortunate for the general public,” Ryland said.

Most of the vehicles being repaired are covered by insurance, which helps smooth the impact, Shaw said.

Some body shops are still working on cars damaged much earlier in December when icy roads back then caused multiple accidents. The sudden boost in business has helped shops in an otherwise slow economic year.