Drivers in danger after ignoring manufacturer advice
UK drivers are putting their lives at risk by not getting driver assistance systems recalibrated following a windscreen replacement.
Research from Autoglass has found that more than two thirds of drivers ignore manufacturer advice to recalibrate after replacing windscreens, with 67% not even realising the cameras that control Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are installed in or near windscreens.
Even more worryingly, 31% of those who contacted a car dealership for calibration found that their first point of contact was not aware of the need for calibration and 53% were given inaccurate advice in relation to their problem.
To grasp the scale of the problem, Autoglass predicts that 15.3 million cars on UK roads will have drivers assistance systems fitted as standard by 2020 – or 40% of cars. A camera misaligned by even one degree in one of these cars could have devastating consequences.
To head off this issue at the pass, Autoglass has developed solution that it believes can calibrate 96% of all vehicles on the road. It’s now striving to raise awareness of the issue within the industry, while also working to introduce industry-wide standards for calibration.
Dr Chris Davies, head of technical superiority at Autoglass, said, ‘Motorists are very familiar with the benefits of driving with well-established safety features like seat belts and airbags, helping to reduce the risk of injuries when accidents happen.
‘But now the motoring industry has an important task to make drivers understand the importance of new and more technically complex features aimed at preventing collisions altogether, such as lane departure warnings and autonomous emergency breaking. If the technologies that support these are working as they should, they will significantly reduce the likelihood of accidents.
‘Driver assistance systems are the first of many innovations that will change the mandate of the automotive after care market and we’ve invested significantly in equipment and training to ensure we’re at the fore-front of new developments. This makes it all the more satisfying to see this vital solution available to customers across the UK.’
Taxiarchis Konstantopoulos, managing director of Autoglass, added, ‘Automotive innovation has led to great leaps forward to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on UK roads, and the vehicle aftermarket needs to evolve with it. We are proud to play our part by rolling out our calibration solution nationwide, working hard to raise awareness among our customers and partners of just how big a difference a minor margin of error can have on the success or failure of the latest safety features, and by being instrumental in efforts to create an industry code of practice, due for publication later this year.’
