By CRM Staff
Dearborn, Michigan — March 21, 2018 — In a recent press release Ford has announced that by 2020 all of its vehicles will come equipped with an advanced driver assistance systems package, reports Repairer Driven News.
“Though our vehicles today are safer than ever, drivers tell us they are still stressed about getting in a potential accident,” said Jim Farley, Ford president, in the press release. “That’s one reason why we’re making these must-have technologies accessible to millions of customers each year.”
This new announcement comes with many potential ripple effects into the collision repair sector. With advanced safety systems in all models the sheer number of collisions occurring will decrease, meaning repairers simply have less to do. This claim has been backed up by the safety data from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, according to our partner publication Repairer Driven News. Further, as a result of the technology required for these systems the repairs that will be needed will be much more complex than standard repairs.
“Auto-braking combined with forward collision warning can cut rear-ending by as much as 50 percent. Blind spot monitoring can cut lane-changing crashes by as much as 14 percent, and lane departure warning alone – not even automatic lane keeping, as Ford’s system does – cuts them 14 percent,” says RDN’s report.
The new technology from Ford will require extensive recalibration from repairers who do work on the vehicles, ensuring the technology functions properly after repair. Failure to do so could have detrimental effects to the safety of the vehicle, endangering not only the driver but others on the road as well.
To repairers’ comfort, Ford also announced that along with the new safety standards will come a decrease in the number of build combinations required to repair them. “Simplification is another key aspect of the plan,” said the press release. “Ford already has reduced orderable combinations on Ford SUVs by 80 percent since 2014, including a 97 percent reduction on the new Edge coming later this year.”
For more information visit ford.ca.
