Mark Bristow, technical director at ISN Garage Assist, outlines the importance of maintenance and alignment to ensure ADAS systems continue working correctly.
ADAS isn’t exactly new: our vehicles have benefitted from various forms of it for years. From anti-lock braking and electronic stability programmes in the early days, to windscreen-mounted cameras ‘seeing’ road signs and pedestrians or adaptive cruise control using radar. Engineers have found ways of using it to improve safety for all road users. But for it to work properly it has to be maintained and correctly aligned at all times.
ADAS systems work with the technology and systems in our cars, with the intention of warning the driver of hazards or even taking control of braking and steering systems when a driver has not responded to a perceived danger, which is fantastic if the ADAS systems are seeing what the driver is seeing. But if the system has become misaligned in some way and is effectively not seeing what the driver is seeing, it could pick up dangers and react to them when they are not in the car’s path. This is where the importance of correctly aligning the system comes to the fore.
If something changes on a car that affects the angle the car presents whilst travelling, it’s possible that certain areas of the driver’s view may not be covered by the system’s camera and radar, potentially missing out on vital information. These changes might be brought about by repairing a broken spring, or damaged suspension component, or through badly misaligned wheels. Windscreen replacement is another area to be considered if the camera was removed as part of the process; ensuring the camera is correctly aligned after repair is vital.
Standard practice
There is now a growing focus on the importance of correctly functioning ADAS systems. In March this year, the BSI issued updated standards covering windscreen repair. Alongside changes to windscreen repair zones, it included recommendations aimed at ensuring the correct operation of windscreen mounted ADAS and heads up display (HUD) following a windscreen repair. Now, no repair of any type will be conducted in an area of the windscreen that supports an aspect of ADAS technology.
It’s essential that a significant chassis repair is done in conjunction with the correct jig – even a gentle frontal impact that ‘doesn’t look too bad’ can seriously misalign the radar unit, if, as is often the case, it’s mounted in the front grill area. The radar uses its long-range abilities to manage active cruise control (by matching the speed of cars ahead) and emergency braking systems (by recognising pedestrians and vehicles which may be in the cars path). If it’s not ‘seeing’ them correctly, it can’t control the vehicle, or warn the driver appropriately.
Another thing to consider is insurance liability. Insurance companies are becoming more and more interested in ADAS functionality when investigating accident claims. Who’s going to be liable if ADAS misalignment is deemed a contributing factor in an accident? If your garage has undertaken a repair that could affect ADAS but you don’t have the equipment to check and adjust it, then you almost certainly have a duty of care to your customer to advise them to get it checked. Better still, you get it checked and realigned for your customer as part of the repair. The most profitable way to do that is to have your own equipment – why would you want to give business to a competitor?
Buying a state of the art ADAS calibration unit is a major investment for any garage. At ISN Garage Assist we have a team of alignment specialists that regularly demonstrate our ADAS equipment to interested customers. We appreciate that it’s a big decision so when a customer buys one, we also make it our business to ensure they are fully trained on its use. We’re also in the very final stages of developing an IMI alignment and ADAS training course for our customers, which will give them everything they need to become an alignment expert – not just in the use of our machines; it will provide them with a much wider understanding of the impact alignment has on the safety of vehicles.
