For an exotic and far-reaching vehicle experience, motorists choose to pimp their locomotives including panels fitted mostly on the front part and in some fitted all the way to the back.
Called skid plates, the panels are used to protect the car's undercarriage from damage and save on costly repairs.
It protects the car's engine, and gearbox among other vital car parts from damage especially when driving in rough terrain.
Furthermore, the plates not only help when driving through a tough terrain but as well as speed bumps, especially the sharp ones on some Kenyan roads.
"Even while skid plates are not required for every vehicle, it is strongly advised that you have them if you drive your vehicle regularly on uneven terrains or off-road," advised Cyber Back Pack.
Skid plates also allow air to pass more smoothly across the underside of the vehicle. This helps the driver at high speed to be more comfortable driving on the highway.
The skid plates are often made of aluminum or steel and are typically fitted at the front end of the vehicle. Although some motorists fit it all the way to the back.
Compared to aluminum skid plates, steel skid plates are stronger and have less chance of undue wear and tear.
"Aluminum skid plates are great when it comes to lightweight materials. They are not as strong as steel and tend to develop holes or rips," explained Western Slope Auto.
Steel skid plates are also less likely to rust and can only dent rather than rip.
Notably, skid plates are often confused with belly pans that are also fitted to the underside of the vehicle. Belly pans are fitted below the engine and provide limited protection against dust and small debris on the road.
However, one of the disadvantages of the skid plates is that it has to be removed every time the motorist is servicing the undercarriage.
Incase of an tragedy, the plates also prevent the engine from falling away from the car which may unluckily fall into the passenger's cabin causing more damage.
According to AMS Motorcycles, the price of a skid plate is approximately Ksh15,000 (£89.70).
