The mission of the Auto Glass Safety Council is to make every auto glass repair and replacement safer by developing and maintaining standards for auto glass repair and replacement, educating and accrediting the industry, and promoting awareness of the standards to the insurance industry and the public at large.
AGSC’s work coincides with drastic changes in the auto glass industry brought on by the advent of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). These technological systems not only alter the way auto glass services companies perform their services but how the public understands the importance of the windshield to their safety and how policymakers and legislators address safety issues as well as the business relationships between auto glass companies, auto dealers, calibration companies, claims administrators and insurers.
AGSC has been active on a number of auto glass bills being considered by state legislatures this year. The first set, which AGSC has supported, are bills that seek to adopt auto glass replacement safety standards, like the Automotive Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS), into state law. Maryland enacted this type of legislation in 2021. The second set are bills regarding calibration and ADAS, like legislation passed in Utah in 2020/2021. AGSC has opposed or expressed concerns with parts and certain provisions of these bills that could negatively impact smaller, independent glass shops by reducing competition in the auto glass industry thus negatively impacting safety. These provisions seek to regulate pricing, billing practices, the relationships between the insurance company and the glass company, and, in some cases, impose significant penalties for non-compliance.
Auto Glass Safety Standards
State auto glass safety standards bills have been introduced in Massachusetts and Virginia in 2022. The Massachusetts bill had a hearing on March 9 before the Joint Committee on Transportation. AGSC and AGSC Member Tiny & Sons Auto Glass of Pembroke, Mass. testified in support of the legislation which is presently pending before the committee. AGSC also testified in support of the Virginia bill in January before the House Transportation Subcommittee on Highway Safety and Policy. The bill has been continued until next year for further study of the issue.
In Maryland, the Motor Vehicle Administration, tasked by legislation enacted last year to implement state auto glass replacement safety standards, published its final regulations, which became effective on March 7, 2022. The new state regulations are substantially similar to the language of the AGRSS standard.
Calibration and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Legislative advocacy works both ways and thus far in 2022, AGSC members have also worked to defeat or amend a series of ADAS/calibration bills that contain harmful provisions. While AGSC recognizes that newer vehicles with various ADAS must undergo a proper pre- and post-windshield replacement scan to confirm that the ADAS camera is calibrated correctly, there were concerns with provisions that could negatively affect small businesses, competition, and safety. Similar bills were introduced in Arizona, Illinois, and Maryland that were based on the recent Utah law. Arizona enacted a new ADAS law but only after substantial revision of the bill from the version originally introduced. AGSC was concerned with one provision in the final version that had increased the civil penalty that could be incurred by auto glass companies from $500 to $2,500 per violation. The Illinois bill never received a committee hearing. In Maryland, AGSC testified against the legislation in February and actively participated in work group sessions with the bill sponsor and other stakeholders to try to form a consensus. The bill never moved out of committee during that state’s legislative session.
As automotive technology advances so must the Auto Glass Safety Council to meet the new challenge. The development of the original AGRSS Standard began in 1999 and has successfully kept up with technological changes ever since. AGSC stands ready to be at the forefront of advancing auto glass safety for many years ahead.
For more information on AGSC’s legislative efforts, please contact Seth Maiman, AGSC Director of Public Affairs, at smaiman@agsc.org.