Federal lawmakers are moving forward with discussions on two bills that might have far-reaching consequences for both drivers and the automotive repair industry. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held hearings on a package of automotive technology bills.
Part of the debate involved advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which are ingrained in the industry. Central to the hearing were H.R. 6688, the ADAS Functionality and Integrity Act, and H.R. 1566, the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act.
Uniform Standards for ADAS Might Be Here
Although it’s early in the legislative process, it reflects increased federal attention to how vehicle safety systems are regulated and repaired. In effect, the measures indicate broader recognition that safety systems and repair access may warrant uniform national standards.
ADAS features are now standard on most new vehicles and have been shown to reduce certain types of crashes, including through technologies such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring (BSM), and adaptive cruise control (ACC).
Indeed, the National Safety Council predicts widespread adoption of ADAS technologies is likely to prevent an estimated 249,400 fatalities over the next quarter-century. In addition, ADAS could prevent over 14 million non-fatal injuries through 2050.
A New Era of Road Safety
With safety benefits becoming more apparent, the lack of consistent calibration and repair guidance has emerged as a concern among collision repair professionals and safety advocates alike.
H.R. 6688 would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to establish federal guidelines for certain features. It would govern calibration, tolerances, validations, and test protocols for ADAS and vehicle dynamic systems on model-year 2028 and later vehicles.
If passed, the bill would require published tolerances for sensor and camera alignment, proper calibration procedures following repair or modification, and metrics to verify functionality.
From the Frontline
John Voulgarakis, founder of a Philadelphia-based ADAS calibration company, said shops across the country are navigating increasing complexity without uniform standards.
He believes federal guidance would address a fractured patchwork of technical standards currently prescribed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), insurers, and individual repair facilities.
“ADAS calibration is no longer a preference; it’s a safety obligation,” Voulgarakis says. “Federal guidance would eliminate gray areas and protect both consumers and repairers.”
A Rift Between Manufacturers and Repair Specialists
Today, ADAS standards and recalibration procedures vary widely between manufacturers and repair networks. That inconsistency, believes Voulgarakis, can lead to confusion between insurers, body shops, and independent technicians about what constitutes proper completion of a post-repair calibration.
“Right now, ADAS standards are fragmented between OEM procedures, insurers, and shop interpretations,” Voulgarakis adds. “A federal framework would bring much-needed accountability.”
Furthermore, improperly calibrated radar, lidar, or camera systems can alter critical system performance. Recent research from Ascential Technologies has found that good calibration can significantly influence system effectiveness, while poor or no calibration can render safety features unreliable or entirely non-functional.
Right to Repair and Access to Data
As complexity increases, collision repair now includes diagnostic scans and calibrations far more often than in the past. Further, a 2024 industry report published more notable data that underscores the rapid growth of ADAS calibration requirements.
The study found that 2023 model year vehicles were over four times as likely to require calibration during a repair appraisal as 2014 vehicles.
The next act, H.R. 1566, or the REPAIR Act, tackles a related challenge. Access to OEM-generated data, software, and diagnostic tools has long been a sticking point for industry professionals. Put simply, repair professionals cannot fully restore vehicle safety systems without reliable access to manufacturer procedures and diagnostic content.
“In my experience, you can’t restore vehicle safety systems without access to OEM data,” says Voulgarakis. “The REPAIR Act will help us do the job correctly, not cut risky corners.”
Low Access to Software Increases Consumer Costs
He argues that modern vehicles are essentially software-defined, and restricting access to that software effectively limits repair options and increases consumer costs. “Modern vehicles are software-defined,” he adds. In short, if independent operators lose access to that software, consumers will lose their right to repair choice.
From a liability and documentation perspective, working without OEM procedures places shops and technicians at risk. “Calibration without OEM procedure access creates liability issues,” Voulgarakis admits. “The REPAIR Act can help us meet manufacturer standards, not guess at them.”
Safety and Consumer Implications
While federal debate continues, motorists across the country are already enjoying ADAS technologies and the expectations that come with them. AEB has been strongly linked to reduced crash risk in multiple studies, according to a comprehensive analysis from Mitre.
The crash data from this study found that vehicles equipped with AEB experienced roughly a 49% reduction in front-to-rear crashes. Moreover, this included all vehicle segments and model years.
In addition, the research suggests that systems designed to warn drivers or apply brakes can reduce pedestrian and cyclist crash risk, underscoring the real-world benefits of properly functioning ADAS.
Poor ADAS Calibration Undermines All Progress
However, inconsistent calibration and repair practices can undermine those gains. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data show that ADAS complexity is creating cost and repair challenges. The issue is growing as drivers increasingly seek repairs involving advanced safety systems after crashes.
As ADAS technologies become ever more ubiquitous — with rear cameras, parking sensors, lane-departure warnings, and other features expected to be present in much of the U.S. fleet within the next decade — federal engagement will shape how safely these systems are restored after damage.
A New ADAS Paradigm Shift
“These bills represent a shift from viewing ADAS calibration as a technical add-on to recognizing it as a regulated safety system,” Voulgarakis concludes. “As vehicles become more automated, policy must evolve alongside the technology.”
For motorists, that evolution means clearer expectations about when recalibration is necessary, greater transparency about calibration procedures, and broader repair choices. For repair professionals, federal guidance and improved access to manufacturer procedures could help standardize a fragmented landscape.
This post originally appeared on Guessing Headlights.
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