More than 75 first responders from more than a dozen rescue units across five states gathered at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) facility in Ruckersville, Va., on Wednesday for a hands-on course in cutting victims out of late-model vehicles, part of the National Auto Body Council First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.) program. The […]
CAPA Elects Crash Champions’ Dustin Harrier to Technical Committee
The Certified Automotive Parts Association elected Dustin Harrier, vice president of training and technology at Crash Champions, to its Technical Committee, the nonprofit parts standard-setting and certification organization announced today. “We’re pleased to welcome Dustin to the Technical Committee,” said Gerry Poirier, chair of CAPA’s board of directors. “The Technical Committee’s strength has always been […]
Rivian Approves Hunter’s ADAS Alignment and Calibration System
Rivian has approved Hunter Engineering’s Ultimate ADAS alignment and calibration system for use across its full vehicle lineup, the company announced May 12. The approval makes Rivian the ninth original equipment manufacturer to endorse the system and the first all-electric automaker on Hunter’s approval list. For collision repairers and Rivian’s service network, the endorsement positions […]
Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index Edges Higher in Mid-May
Index was up both month-over-month and year-over-year. Wholesale used-vehicle prices ticked up in the first half of May, with the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index rising 0.5% from April on a mix-, mileage- and seasonally adjusted basis and holding 3.8% above year-ago levels, Cox Automotive reported May 20. The index reached 213.1 through May 15, […]
Stellantis and JLR Sign MOU to Explore U.S. Product Development Collaboration
Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore collaboration on product and technology development in the United States, the two automakers announced today. The MOU is preliminary and identifies no specific products, programs or platforms. But any joint development between two global automakers carries downstream implications for the […]
I-CAR Among Auto Care Association 2026 Education Award Recipients
The Auto Care Association presented its 2026 industry awards recognizing excellence in education and workforce development during the association’s Auto Care Connect event, held May 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Three companies received Auto Care Education (ACE) Awards, with I-CAR winning the small company category, Christian Brothers Automotive the mid-size category and FleetPride, Inc. […]
Mercury Insurance Claims Analysis Pinpoints 3 p.m. as Daily Crash Peak, 4 p.m. for Injuries
Mercury Insurance (NYSE: MCY) has released an analysis of five years of proprietary claims data identifying 3 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. as the daily peak for weekday crash volume, with injury severity peaking an hour later between 4 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. as traffic begins moving faster. The Los Angeles-based carrier said the data shows […]
Distracted Driving, Bodily Injury and Policy Shopping Reshape Auto Insurance Risk
LexisNexis annual U.S. auto insurance trend report says insurance cost figuring more prominently in auto purchase decisions. LexisNexis Risk Solutions on May 19 released its 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Trends Report, which aggregates and analyzes market data from prior years on driving behavior, policy shopping, rate impacts, vehicle mix and claims outcomes. The annual report […]
Plasnomic Completes First Phase of Polypropylene Bumper Repair Testing, Advances to Methodology Comparison
Plasnomic announced May 18 that it has completed the first stage of its global polypropylene bumper repair benchmarking program, evaluating weld materials and fusion repair methodologies from 11 plastic repair solution providers across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The completion marks an early milestone in the organization’s effort to publish a first set of […]
Crash Champions Activates Sunbit Consumer Financing Program
Crash Champions has activated a nationwide consumer financing program powered by Sunbit, making pay-over-time options available to customers at more than 650 of the multi-shop operator’s collision repair centers across 38 states. The service, marketed as “Fix Now Pay Later,” officially launched May 8 and was announced May 18. The rollout makes Crash Champions the […]