Impact events
Collision terminology
How the word collision is generally used to describe damage tied to impact with another vehicle or object, and the vocabulary that usually appears in those discussions.
Know the words before the damage
Learning topics
Seven areas where damage vocabulary matters most
Non-collision events
Comprehensive terminology
Comprehensive is the term commonly used for damage that happens without a traffic impact, such as falling objects or severe weather.
Hail, wind, flood
Weather damage
Hail dents, wind-blown debris, flooding, and freeze damage each carry their own descriptive vocabulary in vehicle damage reports.
Missing vehicle or parts
Theft
Terminology used when a vehicle or its components go missing, including the difference between full vehicle theft and partial theft of parts.
Intentional damage
Vandalism
Vandalism describes deliberate damage caused by another person, which uses different descriptive terms than accidental impact damage.
Wildlife contact
Animal strikes
Animal contact sits in a frequently misunderstood space between collision and non-collision language, so the terminology matters.
Recording what happened
Damage documentation
A plain walkthrough of the details people commonly record after any damage event so descriptions stay accurate and consistent.
Scenario library
Same vehicle, different vocabulary
Four short scenarios showing how the wording changes with the event, not with the vehicle.
A driver backs into a parking garage pillar.
Usually described with collision terminology because an impact occurred.
A hailstorm dents the roof and hood overnight.
Usually described with comprehensive terminology because there was no traffic impact.
A window is broken and a bag is taken from the seat.
Usually described with theft and vandalism terminology, not collision terminology.
A deer runs into the front bumper on a rural road.
Often described with comprehensive terminology in the United States even though contact occurred.
Features
Built as a reference you can return to
- Scenario library
- Short written scenarios that show how the same vehicle can be described in collision language or comprehensive language depending on what happened.
- Terminology glossary
- Plain definitions of the vocabulary that appears most often in vehicle damage discussions, written without industry shorthand.
- Damage checklist
- A printable sequence of details and photos people commonly gather after a damage event, so nothing important is left undescribed.
- In-depth explainers
- Longer explainers on weather damage, theft, vandalism, animal strikes, and documentation habits.
- SMS updates
- An optional text message program with separate account notification and marketing preferences, each opted into individually.