The Automotive Service Association’s (ASA) Washington, D.C., representative Bob Redding attended the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) Property and Casualty Insurance Committee meeting March 5 to testify against its Model Act Regarding Motor Vehicle Crash Parts and Repair.

The ASA highlighted three key areas for its opposition to the Model Act – Aftermarket parts certification, lack of a formal consumer written consent process for the use of replacement crash parts and certified parts equivalency to OEM.

The ASA has conducted parts demonstrations for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), worked with Congress to acquire a General Accounting Office investigation of NHTSA’s role in regulating aftermarket crash parts and encouraged NHTSA to use its existing authorization to regulate aftermarket crash parts.

Recently, ASA wrote a letter to NHTSA administrator David L. Strickland outlining concerns with NHTSA’s inaction. In the letter ASA stated: “The lack of federal regulation of the aftermarket crash parts industry opens the vehicle owner to a host of quality and safety concerns. How can NHTSA’s mission statement – ‘Save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity’ – ignore the types of parts used to repair a vehicle after a collision? Are bumpers, hoods and airbags not important safety components of a vehicle? Airbags alone are significant cost items when repairing a vehicle and many times force the vehicle to be titled as salvage after a collision. Used airbags are quite common in the marketplace. Many automotive parts recycling facilities make used airbags readily available to any purchaser, professional repairer or not.” ASA also produced a brochure with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers titled “Support Consumer Protection in Auto Repair: Oppose Model Crash Parts Legislation.”

Further, ASA has requested that collision repairers contact their state legislators who serve on NCOIL’s Property and Casualty Insurance Committee to oppose the Model Act.

For additional information, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.