Car technician licensing ‘extremely urgent’, says IMI12 August 2014

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is calling on the government to implement a licensing scheme for technicians in the automotive retail sector.

New consumer research, says IMI, shows that 70% of voters believe this is already a requirement for car technicians.

The Institute believes the increase in modern vehicle technology means car servicing should be regulated – and it says the government's plan to have driverless cars on UK roads by 2015 makes this "extremely urgent".

Several organisations have already declared 'in principle' support for the campaign, including REMIT, AutoGlass, Inchcape UK, John Clarke Motor Group and TrustFord.

"The proliferation of hybrid vehicles and complex driver assist systems has already increased the skills requirements for effective and safe working on modern vehicles," says Steve Nash, IMI chief executive.

"Service technicians without the proper training are increasingly putting themselves and motorists at risk."

He adds that parliamentary research suggests that MPs have a poor impression of the motor industry: "It is vital that they and the public come to a better understanding of the requirements necessary to work on modern vehicles, especially with a new wave of technology on the horizon."

According to road safety charity Brake, 2,125 crashes in Britain in 2011 were caused by vehicle defects as a result of inadequate maintenance, 52 of them causing deaths.

Author
Laura Cork

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