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Calibration Crisis: How Drivers' Safety May Be Placed at Risk

A shortage of adequately trained ADAS calibration technicians contributes to motorist safety issues, say University of North Florida researchers.
July 28, 2025
2 min read

A report released by researchers at the University of North Florida points to increasing challenges in the ability of collision repairers to calibrate advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS.)

ADAS UNF Report Cover

Dr. Debbie Wang and Dr. Pingying Zhang, professors at UNF in Jacksonville, Florida, conducted the study, "Skilled Labor Shortage in Auto Collision Industry Posts Motorist Safety Risk," in July. It acknowledges AirPro Diagnostics LLC's Michael Quinn, senior VP of business development, and Fred Iantorno, VP of strategic solutions, for "providing contextual understanding and industry insights," but it draws on multiple industry resources.

More than 300 collision repairers from independent, single-location shops; national MSOs; dealership body shops; franchise owners; and regional MSOs were surveyed by phone. Data collected include OEM certification levels, number of technicians, if they have a dedicated ADAS technician, have received informal or formal ADAS training, if calibrations are undertaken in-house or to where they are sublet, and more.

"A lack of transparency has led to significant information asymmetry between repair professionals and consumers, often resulting in confusion, inconsistent service quality, and diminished trust (AAA, December 2023; MEMA, October, 2024; Mueller et al., 2024)," the researchers note. "Building on prior research, this study aims to provide insights into current ADAS workforce shortages and industry practices related to ADAS services offered by collision repair shops."

The 26-page report is available for download as a PDF at no charge for all FenderBender/ABRN site members. Site membership is free.