The bill would ensure that aftermarket businesses have the information needed to properly calibrate ADAS after vehicles are modified or customized
Washington, D.C.—The Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) national effort to protect the ability to modify and customize vehicles with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) took a “significant” step forward this week when the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade passed the bipartisan ADAS Functionality and Integrity Act (HR 6688).
ADAS technologies, such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning and forward-collision warning, add complexity when vehicles are repaired or modified.
The SEMA-supported bill passed the subcommittee via voice vote, marking significant progress toward ensuring that aftermarket businesses have the information needed to properly calibrate ADAS after vehicles are modified or customized, stated SEMA in a news release.
As ADAS features become increasingly offered in new vehicles, they present both opportunities and challenges for vehicle owners and aftermarket businesses that modify vehicles in common ways, such as installing a wrap, an aftermarket bumper or winch, a bike rack, lifting a vehicle or installing larger tires.s.
HR 6688 directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to work with automakers, the aftermarket, dealers and automotive stakeholders to establish guideline for ADAS calibration, modification tolerances and validation testing. SEMA stated that the goal is a landscape where vehicles can be safely modified without compromising the performance of critical safety systems.
The bill recognizes the important role of aftermarket businesses in customizing and upgrading vehicles and seeks to ensure that independent technicians, parts manufacturers and vehicle owners have clear, workable standards to follow when modifying vehicles in a way that may impact ADAS performance.
By creating consistent federal guidance, the bill helps avoid a patchwork of rules that could restrict innovation, limit consumer choice, or unfairly advantage vehicle manufacturers and affiliated service providers.
Currently, there are no standards to properly calibrate the sensors and cameras that support ADAS features after a vehicle has been customized or modified. SEMA noted that HR 6688 addresses this gap by requiring NHTSA to establish guidelines for model-year-2028-and-later vehicles that include modification ranges and tolerances that maintain proper calibration of ADAS.
The bill also requires NHTSA to create guidelines that establish ADAS test procedures so that automotive businesses can properly test and validate that vehicle systems have been properly calibrated.
As the bill moves through the Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives, SEMA encourages aftermarket businesses, technicians and enthusiasts to contact their U.S. House members. Click here to send a letter to your representative.
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