Modern safety tech can be difficult to repair after crash, study says 

Improvements in safety technology allow modern cars to better protect occupants in a crash, but there are instances where owners could experience problems with the features when it comes to repairs. 

Crash-avoidance features such as cameras and sensors need to be calibrated when the windshield is replaced 

This was according to a study done by the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The group surveyed more than 3,000 vehicle owners in North America, with some of the respondents saying that problems with the vehicle’s crash avoidance features were not easily resolved following an accident.  

“Many had issues with the technology afterward, and some said they had to have the same feature repaired more than once,” said Alexandra Mueller, IIHS Senior Research Scientist.         

Safety enhancements such as forward collision warning, automated emergency braking, and blind-spot detection are built to be robust under normal conditions, which explains their growing presence among new model releases. However, vehicle repairs in the aftermath of a crash involve the calibration of cameras and sensors used by these systems, and their sophistication can make the process complicated and expensive. 

Some repair shops require large spaces for calibrating a car's safety features 

For instance, a separate study by IIHS-affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute found that while windshield replacements typically cost $250 (Php 13,800), this could reach up to $1,000 (Php 55,300) for vehicles that also use front crash prevention features, with the added cost going towards recalibrating the hardware and software. 

Calibration of crash avoidance sensors and cameras is a necessary step every time the car’s windshield is replaced, apart from being an early step towards addressing problems when they arise during real-world use. Despite the need to have these driver-assist features repaired, most participants in the survey said that the cost was completely covered by the vehicle’s insurance or warranty anyway. 

“Still, the vast majority said they would buy a vehicle equipped with the technology again and most were satisfied with the out-of-pocket cost,” Mueller added. 

Most of the respondents say that the benefits of crash-avoidance tech on vehicles outweigh repair issues

The IIHS recommends several solutions, such as self-diagnosing systems to alert drivers or technicians for problems, a feature already present in some models. Car manufacturers can also streamline and standardize their calibration procedures, apart from making repair and calibration information such as specifications available to all repair shops. 

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