New driver news - Paintwork hazard for newly qualified driver insurance holders

Car news - Newly qualified driver insurance holders blemished paintwork

Advice concerning the damage done to car paint-work by the acid in bird droppings has been circulating for years, and newly qualified driver insurance holders might also have heard the rumours.

However, car care product specialist Autoglym has suggested that the contents of bird droppings have nothing to do with the blemishes noticed by motorists upon wiping the mess off.

The firm's paintwork specialists have found that damage occurs depending on the temperature of the paint lacquer on the vehicle's bodywork.

When the lacquer warms, in sunlight or due to the heat of the engine, it softens and expands. Heat also dries any deposits which appear on the car, hardening them. When the lacquer cools again it contracts and may mould and harden to the texture of the dropping.

The paintwork remains untouched but the textured appearance of the paint lacquer creates a reflection, which make it seem as if the paintwork has dulled.

The CEO of Autoglym said, "It's a great shame when an otherwise fabulous-looking car is blighted with a tell-tale patch of dull paint."

The company advises new drivers, as well as experienced motorists, that damage to their car's paint lacquer can be avoided if they remove the bird dropping as soon as possible, preferably when it has not yet dried, to reduce the likelihood of the lacquer becoming textured.

Newly qualified driver insurance holders might want to keep in mind that bird droppings will be more prevalent in the spring and summer months and that if they decide to sell their car in the future, paintwork blemishes may lower the price they can put it on the market for.