IMI TechSafe vital for consumer confidence in ADAS
The Institute of the Motor Industry is urging the government to embed IMI TechSafe accreditation into its Statement of Safety Principles for automated vehicles.
It argues that clear professional standards are required to ensure public confidence in the technology, and IMI TechSafe offers a ready-made, proven skills and training framework.
Further, it says that IMI TechSafe is established in the industry so could be easily implemented to ensure technicians are properly trained to maintain, repair, calibrate and update automated vehicles.
Nick Connor, CEO of the IMI, said: “The race is on for automated vehicles to be more widely used on UK roads, but the government must urgently address the skills needed to maintain, repair, calibrate and update these vehicles throughout their operational life.
“Without clear professional standards for workforce competence, embedded in law, the safety case for automated vehicles is incomplete, presenting a serious risk to consumer confidence.”
Skills gap
To date, only three per cent of technicians in the UK are qualified to work on vehicles with ADAS features.
Connor continued: “Our concern is that the gap will widen as automated vehicles become more widely used on UK roads. The government must act now to mitigate this risk, which has the potential to compromise both safety and consumer confidence.
“There needs to be explicit inclusion of technician competence in the safety standards for automated vehicles throughout their operational life, which IMI TechSafe could fulfil, and government support to accelerate training across the automotive workforce.”
