The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) closed out its two-session summer webinar series in August with a business-transition course from a certified exit planner and a revenue course adapted from the mechanical seminar the association added to its NORTHEAST trade show in March. Both sessions were free to members. Both sessions […]
Farmers Links Safety Technology to Costlier Repairs and Premiums in Consumer Guide
The guide names diagnostic scans, calibration and specialized labor as repair cost drivers and tells policyholders those costs flow into rates. Farmers Insurance published a consumer guide Aug. 31 detailing for policyholders how the cameras, sensors and radar behind advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are making collision repairs more complex and expensive, and that repair […]
ASE Connects Hosts Weekly Beyond the Wrench Podcast
Jay Goninen, vice president of industry advancement at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), is hosting a weekly podcast entitled Beyond the Wrench. The podcast promotes careers in the automotive, diesel and collision repair industries. Each week, Goninen sits down with shop owners, technicians, instructors and professionals in the automotive, diesel and collision […]
Most Profitable States for Auto Insurers in 2024
Auto physical damage insurers posted their best year in a decade after three straight years of losses, with only one state in the red. Private passenger auto physical damage insurance returned to profitability in every state but one in 2024, according to the latest data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), capping a […]
IIHS Reports Police Undercount Driver Cellphone Use Before Crashes
Drivers are using cellphones in the moments before crashes at least seven times as often as police reports indicate, according to a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study that linked telematics records from safe-driving apps to police-reported crashes. The findings mean distracted driving’s contribution to crash frequency — and to the collision claims […]
ServiceUp Partners With Stellantis Pro One to Open Franchise Dealer Network to Fleet Repairs
ServiceUp, the AI-powered fleet repair and maintenance platform, announced Aug. 27 a partnership with Stellantis Pro One, the automaker’s global business unit for light commercial vehicles, that gives every fleet on the platform access to the Stellantis franchise dealer network across the United States, with dispatch, repair tracking and billing handled through ServiceUp. The agreement […]
Solera to Deploy Qapter AI Estimating Across Saudi Arabia’s National Motor Claims Platform
Solera has entered a strategic partnership with Najm for Insurance Services, the national platform that manages motor accident reporting and claims services across Saudi Arabia, under which Solera’s Qapter and Intelligent Estimating solutions will be deployed inside Najm’s platform, the companies announced Aug. 18. “As the national platform supporting Saudi Arabia’s motor insurance ecosystem, Najm […]
J.D. Power Finds Nearly One-Third of Insurance Customers Use AI to Research, Shop and Service Policies
Just 13% of customers say they have used AI to process a claim, even as 29% use it to research coverage and shop for policies. Nearly one-third of auto and home insurance customers, 29%, have used artificial intelligence tools to research products and coverage, service their accounts, understand what their policy covers before submitting a […]
Lemonade Car Insurance Launches in Florida
Lemonade Inc. (NYSE: LMND) said Aug. 26 that its Lemonade Car auto insurance product is now available in Florida, extending the app-based carrier’s telematics-priced coverage into what the company describes as one of the largest and fastest-growing personal auto markets in the country. With Florida added, Lemonade said its Car product is now sold in […]
Mazda Roadside Assistance Requests to Trigger Slow Down, Move Over Alerts for Approaching Drivers
Mazda North American Operations announced Aug. 27 a collaboration with AAA and HAAS Alert under which a Mazda customer’s roadside assistance request will trigger real-time digital alerts warning approaching motorists that a vehicle is stopped on the roadside ahead. The feature is available now on all eligible Mazda vehicles with 24/7 emergency roadside assistance. When […]