Editorial: Getting Ahead of ADAS

Once in a while, legislation that benefits the automotive aftermarket — and independent tire dealers, in particular — comes along.

One such bill is the ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act (H.B. 6688), which was introduced this past December by Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.)

According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the bill would ensure “that aftermarket businesses have the information needed to properly calibrate advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) after vehicles are modified” — something that has the potential to help tire dealerships that install high-diameter passenger and light truck tires and other aftermarket modifications on vehicles.

“The bill is timely because (of) a forthcoming federal mandate that new, model year 2029 vehicles feature automatic emergency braking, bringing important safety systems to all new vehicles sold in the U.S.”

That federal mandate that SEMA is referring to was first announced in April 2024 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It requires that vehicles apply braking systems “automatically up to 90 mph when a collision with a lead vehicle is imminent and up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected,” according to a statement from NHSTA.

It also mandates that vehicles have the ability to stop and avoid contact with the car in front of them up to 62 miles per hour and also be able to detect the presence of pedestrians in both daylight and at night. The rule applies to U.S. vehicles with a gross vehicle rating of 10,000 pounds or less.

“The ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act would require NHTSA to establish ADAS guidelines to create modification ranges and tolerances for new vehicles,” say SEMA officials. “The bill also requires NHTSA to create guidelines that establish ADAS test procedures” that aftermarket businesses, including tire dealerships, can use to properly “test and validate that new vehicle systems have been properly calibrated” following a modification.

Furthermore, the bill “is critical to ensure these advanced safety systems continue to work properly even after vehicles are repaired or modified and pathways to compliance are clear as ADAS becomes standard on every vehicle.”

If the ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act becomes law, guidelines to ensure that ADAS systems installed on vehicles, starting with model year 2029, maintain their functionality after modification or vehicle customization, must be in place no later than 24 months after the bill’s enactment.

According to language in the bill, these guidelines will determine “allowable modification ranges and tolerances, including physical parameters impacting ADAS and vehicle dynamics systems functionality, including ride height, wheel and tire dimensions, overall static geometry, physical displacement parameters and sensor and camera function.

“A process for (new vehicle) manufacturers to provide vehicle tolerance and system sensitivity information relevant to modification and calibration to owners” within 30 days after the “release of a passenger motor vehicle” also will be required.

SEMA’s research indicates that more than 50 million cars and trucks in the U.S. are modified or accessorized each year.

Compared to other services, a relatively small number of respondents to MTD’s most recent Tire Dealer Automotive Service Study — 19%, to be exact — say they offer ADAS calibrations at their dealerships. But all tire dealerships make vehicle modifications. And those modifications don’t have to be dramatic, like the installation of a giant lift kit. Replacing a set of OE tires or a set of OE wheels — or replacing both at the same time, as many tire dealers do  — counts as a vehicle modification. And if that modification changes a vehicle’s ride height or another important parameter, the functionality and effectiveness of ADAS can be impacted. This isn’t good for you and it isn't good for the customer.

More vehicles will continue to roll off the assembly line equipped with increasingly sophisticated ADAS and you will see more of these vehicles at your dealership. It behooves our industry to get ahead of this. ADAS is here to stay. We want your business to remain viable and successful, too.

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected].