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Vol. 41 / Issue 4 / April 2023 REGIONAL NEWS
TX Student Named Grand Prize Winner in Annual FutureTechs Rock Awards
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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
Taeler Coverdale, a collision repair student at Universal Technical Institute in Houston, TX, has been named the grand prize winner in TechForce Foundation®’s 2023 FutureTechs Rock Awards. TechForce created this prestigious award to honor aspiring technicians and recognize students with a promising future in the transportation industry. Learn more about the 2023 grand prize and category winners at TechForce.org/ FTR23Winners “This is amazing! I’m in utter shock right now,” said Coverdale upon learning she is this year’s grand prize winner. “Thank you for the opportunity… being an example for other women… that’s what I
want, that’s why I’m in this. I want to make a difference for women in this industry. If a girl sees that she might think she’s able to do this as a career.” More than 4,000 TechForce followers voted in this year’s awards. The student with the most votes was Coverdale, earning her the grand prize among 10 contenders who were all category winners. Coverdale was previously named as the collision repair category winner. “Role models like Taeler show students that there is a place for them in technician careers,” said TechForce Executive Director Jennifer Maher. “As we all know, young people are so much more l CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
REGIONAL NEWS
Auto Theft Bill Advances in Colorado Senate By Joe Mueller The Center Square
A bill making all auto thefts felonies was praised by law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys, mayors and victims before it was voted out of Colorado’s Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 27. Senate Bill 23-097 also would eliminate penalties based on the value of the stolen vehicle. It now heads to the Senate Appropriations
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 6
20
PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA
24
30
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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