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Vol. 41 / Issue 4 / April 2023 REGIONAL NEWS
Washington State House Votes More Funds To Combat Auto Theft By Jeremy Lott The Center Square
Credit: Shutterstock
IIHS Research Scientist: ‘It Seems Calibration is the Weakest Link’ By Abby Andrews Autobody News
A first-of-its-kind consumer survey conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showed the majority of people who own a vehicle with increasingly popular ADAS features are reporting issues with those features after a repair for any reason—but especially when the repair was the result of crash damage, or a windshield replacement. While the self-reported survey of a sample of about 500 owners in the U.S. cannot say exactly how widespread the problem really is in the entire registered fleet, it’s a clear sign repairers need to invest in the tools and training to perform calibrations, and automakers need to make that information more accessible, said Alexandra Mueller, senior research scientist at IIHS and the study’s designer. “Changes need to be made, and
there are definitely solutions that can be implemented,” Mueller said. The survey, conducted in 2021, sought out owners of vehicles model year 2011 and newer, that had certain popular ADAS features: front crash prevention, which includes automatic emergency braking and front collision warning; blind spot monitoring; and cameras, including those providing rear and 360-degree views. Of the 3,000 owners contacted, about 500 had taken in their vehicles for repairs and participated in the survey; 40% of those said their vehicles were a model year 2019 or newer. Post-repair problems with ADAS were substantially more common among people who had features repaired because of crash damage or in connection with a windshield replacement. About two-thirds of owners whose ADAS feature repairs involved windshield replacement and
On March 7, the same day the Washington state House of Representatives refused to consider a bill that could reform the state’s police pursuit law, it approved a bill making more funds available for local law enforcement to deal with auto thefts. “Statewide auto thefts have increased by 93% since the summer of 2021,” said Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, R-Republic, chief sponsor of the bill after it cleared the chamber. House Bill 1682 was approved by the House on March 7 by a vote of 941. Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane,
was the only representative to vote against it. Maycumber sounded off on the significance of cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans and other vehicles to her constituents. “When an auto theft occurs it takes away our ability to live our lives,” her statement continued. “For many of us, our vehicles are our lifeline. They allow us to go to work, take our kids to school, and get to muchneeded medical appointments. In recent news, auto theft has resulted in heartbreaking tragedies. It is endangering lives and costing our citizens time and money while providing many substance abusers and career criminals an easy financial l CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
REGIONAL NEWS
OR Students Ready For Auto Body Career With Surprise Gift of Required Tools By Les Zaitz Salem Reporter
Three students in the auto body program at the Career Technical Education Center in Salem, OR, recently got a surprising boost to launch their professional careers. Daniel Mendoza, Julian Moran and Eddie Ceja were awarded a prestigious national scholarship that gave them each $1,000 worth of tools and a tool box. They also recently got
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Daniel Mendoza, Eddie Ceja and Julian Moran, seniors in the auto body program in the Career Technical Education Center in Salem, OR, are surprised by tool sets presented at the Collision Industry Conference in January in Palm Springs, CA. Credit: Salem-Keizer School District
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 8
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PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA
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Columnist Mike Anderson: My ‘Wish List’ of Changes to Improve the
Collision Repair Industry
Columnist Ed Attanasio: Tesla Owners Club of LA Gets Up-Close Look at Repair Experience at Bistagne Bros. Columnist Stacey Phillips: Mitchell Report Provides Insight into EV
Vehicle Claims, Market Data
Columnist John Yoswick: Attorneys Say Consumer Data Privacy Concerns for Collision Repair Shops are Real
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