CESVI 43 Anuário Yearbook ABLA 2013 Vehicle rental companies will soon have to get ready for new circumstances that will, to a greater or lesser extent, have an impact throughout the automotive supply chain: mandatory Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) and airbags in passenger vehicles. These safety systems must be factory fitted to all vehicles launched from the beginning of next year. It is great news for passenger and pedestrian safety. Furthermore, it brings about another benefit - namely a boost to vehicle technology, as these components are controlled by complex embedded technology systems. Drivers of entrylevel vehicles also benefit, because mandatory ABS and airbags are the first steps towards the technology used in imported vehicles (or higher-level models) getting into the more basic models. However, these positive developments require preparation and planning. Repairing more sophisticated safety systems will increase costs. The calculations will have to be redone so that the pros and cons of the issue can be identified again. What about maintenance? The change in repair costs - assuming a fleet in which even the most basic models will have these safety systems - also requires the rental companies study how they will manage the preventive maintenance of their vehicles. Not every workshop has professionals who have been trained to repair vehicles with a higher level of embedded technology. To be truly prepared, the workshops must train its workforce, adopt electronic diagnostic and maintenance equipment, and improve their infrastructure. This is because poorly provided services that affect a vehicle’s electronic systems may compromise the operation of the ABS and airbags, and damage the vehicle’s performance. Guidance There is another issue that requires planning: will your client know how to drive a vehicle with ABS and airbags? It is less simple than it may appear. Those who do not drive vehicles equipped with ABS, for example, tend to get surprised by emergency braking with the system - especially the strange shaking of the brake pedal, a feature of ABS. However, a study carried out by CESVI in 2007 showed that simple guidance is enough for drivers to know how to use ABS. But is your service team now able to provide this guidance? All these issues must be reconsidered now, before a new situation is consolidated in Brazil’s fleet and market, so that rental companies are abreast of the future of traffic safety in Brazil - while maintaining financial stability and the quality of their services. Vehicles are being modernized, so fleet management techniques need to keep up. And it all starts with thorough knowledge of the product that is at the root of the rental services: the vehicle - now reformulated (for the better) with the adoption of ABS and airbags. About CESVI Founded in 1994, the Center of Experimentation and Road Safety (CESVI BRASIL) is the only Brazilian research center dedicated to road safety and automotive repair, providing technical information for the sector and society. It was the first such center in Latin America and is a member of the Research Council for Automobile Repairs (RCAR), an international research council with the same goals. A new look at safety and repairs www.cesvibrasil.com.br CESVI activities www.clubedasoficinas.com.br Automotive fix www.twitter.com/cesvibrasil News
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDU0Njk=