New
Calif Returns Consumer Disclosure to Aftermarket Parts Bill
Bill also moves aftermarket parts responsibility from Consumer Affairs to Insurance Dept.

PA Senate Resolution Calls for Steering Investigation New
Senator sponsors measure after experiencing insurer steering following a car accident.

Collision Repair Facility Business Conditions: Q4 2009 New
Sales and earnings show improvement. Employment and hiring plans improve.

News Analysis- Aftermarket Structural Parts New
Pulling untested parts from the shelves is a move in the right direction- that shouldn't have been necessary.

US Traffic Volume Ends 2009 Ahead of 2008 Total
Americans drove 6.6 billion miles more in 2009 than the year before.

Jim Sell, Senior Counsel, American Coatings  Association, on East Coast Low-VOC Resolution
Sell discusses the coming waterborne regulations on the East Coast and the interstate commission making the call for the switch.

CynCast Launches New Shop Performance Rating System
Concept is to promote a one-number rating of shop performance covering measurements like severity, cycle time and CSI scores. We interview CynCast CEO Doug Kelly to explain the project and why it was created.

Keystone Crash Tests Aftermarket Bumpers
Company crashed real cars with aftermarket bumper reinforcements at 35 mph.

Aftermarket Parts, Steering on NCOIL Agenda for March
Model Act addresses certified crash parts, and insurance responsibilities when specifying aftermarket parts.

MetLife Drops Aftermarket Structural Parts
Another top national insurer officially suspends the use of aftermarket structural parts until their safety can be established.

Shop-Insurer Relations, Non-OEM Parts Dominate CIC
Parts patent protection, aftermarket parts and DRP program requirements all received much attention in Palm Springs.

GEICO Drops Use of Aftermarket Safety Parts 
Effective immediately GEICO policy is OEM-only for bumper reinforcements and related safety parts.

Massachusetts Hears Testimony on Several Collision Bills
Among the top issues- regulating a higher labor rate for Massachusetts repairers.

Body Repair Prices Lag Inflation in 2009
The consumer cost of collision work rose through 2009, just not as fast as everything else.

Cali Bill May Kill Consumer Disclosure of Aftermarket Parts
Bill proposes elimination of current law requiring consumers to be advised of the types of parts being used to repair their vehicles.

Indentifying Insurer Concerns with Collision Repair
Mike Condon shares some of his thoughts on what he learned through more than 22 hours of candid interviews with insurance company leadership about the collision repair industry.

California Appeals Court Rejects Claims of DRP Conspiracy
Court rules on Allstate and Progressive DRP operation and labor rate surveys. Finds no price fixing- just buying and selling with an agreement on prices.

Aftermarket Structural Parts Raising More Red Flags
Serious concerns about consumer safety and compromised crashworthiness surround the emerging use of some aftermarket structural parts.

 
J.D. Power Offers Insight Into Collision Customer Satisfaction
Industry satisfaction is up big in 2009, and cycle time is down considerably from last year, but that isn't the whole story, according to J.D. Power's Jeremy Bowler.

Collision Repair Job Growth Prediction Revised Downward
Recession may have officially taken its toll on the prospect of growth in the collision repair industry, at least for the next decade.

RI Supreme Court Sets Date for Labor Rate Survey Case
Insurers contest state law requiring labor rate surveys to determine prevailing rate.

Newest NABC Program Offers Shops Opportunity to Shine
NABC Board President George Avery and Executive Director Chuck Sulkala discuss the emergency extrication program that offers shops the opportunity for positive recognition while providing a valuable community service.

RI Clarifies Definition of Insurer Interference in Steering Case
Allstate fined $5000 for unfair business practices. State authority clarifies the kind of activities that are considered interference with a customer's choice of shop.

Historical Comparison: When will Driving Return to Normal?
Comparing the current "driving recession" to previous events in 1973 and 1979. History suggests it may take a considerable length of time to return to pre-recessionary driving levels.

Salvage Airbag Amendment Calms Concerns at NCOIL
Controversial airbag bill gets amendment requiring strict consumer notification.

East Coast States Move Toward Waterborne Paint Regulation
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regulatory group has formally adopted the California plan to reduce collision industry emissions.

Shops Win $15 mil Verdict Against The Hartford
Association now seeks injunction to stop unfair labor rate suppression practices.

EPA Rule for Shops: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
Every shop in the country has less than two months to comply with the initial notification requirement of the EPA's new surface coating rule, but there is free help available if you know who to call.

California Assembly: Hayashi Finds Little Auto Body Fraud
Insurance department and BAR testimony confirm that auto body fraud just isn't that prevalent.