The growing presence of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in less expensive vehicles is reshaping South Africa’s collision repair industry, warns the South African Motor Body Repairers' Association (Sambra).
Features that once appeared only on premium cars – such as blind-spot assist, automatic braking and lane-keeping assist – are now increasingly standard across everyday passenger vehicles.
As these technologies become more common, they are also changing what happens after an accident.
“Repairing visible damage is no longer enough,” notes Sambra national director Juan Hanekom.
“Modern repairs increasingly require specialised diagnostic equipment, precise calibration procedures and highly trained technicians to ensure a vehicle’s safety systems are fully restored before it returns to the road.
