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NHTSA Tells Automakers Not To Comply With MA’s Right To Repair Law The National Highway and Transportation Safety Authority (NHTSA) on June 13 sent a letter to 22 automakers, telling them not to comply with a Right to Repair law recently enacted in Massachusetts, citing “significant safety concerns.”
to dealership service centers. It was first approved by Massachusetts voters in 2020, but delayed for years by a lawsuit brought by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing automakers.
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AUTOBODYNEWS.COM
Vol. 41 / Issue 7 / July 2023 REGIONAL NEWS
TSTC Program Immerses Students in Art of Auto Refinishing The color of a vehicle can make a statement, but getting the perfect shade can be a challenge. Texas State Technical College’s auto collision and management technology program offers a refinishing component for students who have an interest in auto body work and painting. The program is taught in a hybrid format, with students watching lectures online and doing hands-on labs on campus. “Most students come in and never have held a paint gun or worked in a shop,” said William Graham, a program instructor.
The Program All students wear personal protective equipment when working with paints,
whether mixing or in paint booths. This involves a suit, respirator, gloves and glasses or goggles. Graham said students start the first semester learning how to use and clean a paint gun. He said students learn to read technical data sheets for spraying products and how to color, sand and buff. Graham said second-semester students purchase their own paint guns and mix their own paint, along with doing scratch repairs. They also do block sanding. Philip McKee, lead instructor in the program, said some students are surprised at the mathematics and science involved in creating colors and painting. l CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
REGIONAL NEWS
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“While NHTSA has stressed that it is important for consumers to continue to have the ability to choose where to have their vehicles serviced and repaired, consumers must be afforded choice in a manner that does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety,” the NHTSA said in the letter. The law requires automakers to allow access to their vehicles’ data, so owners can get them fixed by independent repairers if they choose, rather than be forced to go
Finally, in March, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced she would begin enforcing the law June 1, despite the lack of a decision in the federal lawsuit. A last-minute motion to block the enforcement by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation was denied. The letter from the NHTSA claims the Massachusetts law is in conflict with and is therefore preempted by the Safety Act, which
Colorado Hikes EV Tax Credit to $5,000 On Top of $7,500 Federal Credit By Dan Mihalascu InsideEVs
Colorado will soon become the state with the most generous EV tax credits in the U.S., offering electric vehicle buyers a $5,000 credit that can be stacked with up to $7,500 in federal incentives. The Colorado legislature passed several bills in May designed to help accelerate the adoption of cleaner transportation, complementing
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 16
Columnist Mike Anderson: How to Create a Winning Customer
Experience
34
Columnist Abby Andrews: Mitchell Hosts High School Students to Show Career Opportunities in the Collision Repair Industry
12
Columnist Stacey Phillips: Solving the Tech Shortage: Providing Direction, Showing Vulnerability & Re-messaging the Collision Repair Job
30
Columnist John Yoswick: Auto Body Shop Owners Decide Where to Focus Attention, Resources in Near Future
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