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Texting While Driving Still Allowed in FL, AL, and MS Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi are among the 17 states that have no general prohibition against texting while driving—except for novice drivers (16, or 17 w/ Intermediate License <6 months) in Alabama. Mississippi bans only School Bus Drivers and learners from texting while driving. Florida has no restrictions on any driver. The other 33 states, including Georgia—where it is a primary offense, now have bans. Indiana and Maine become the latest states to ban texting while driving, Florida drivers, however, cannot be pulled over for talking or texting while behind the wheel.
Thirty-four states, plus the District of Columbia and Guam, have texting bans, according to the Governors’ Highway Safety Association. Thirty states, D.C., and Guam have primary enforcement—an officer may cite a driver for using a handheld cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place; the others, secondary. Nine states, as well as D.C. and the Virgin Islands, prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. Except for Maryland, all laws are primary enforcement. No state bans all cellphone use while driving.
by John Yoswick Special to Autobody News
and for our customers,” Risley said. Risley’s discussion of the forthcoming change was just one of recent news items related to insurance companies that will likely be of interest to shops. Here’s a wrap-up of some of this news. Insureds are shopping. Consumers shopped and switched auto insurers more agDan Risley gressively in 2010 than they have for 14 years, according to preliminary survey findings from McKinsey & Co. The survey analysis authors told
See TWD in Florida, Page 13
Allstate to Open Electronic Communication with Non-DRP Shops
See Allstate, Page 14
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P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
Allstate Insurance will soon roll-out technology that will enable shops that are not part of the insurer’s direct repair program to communicate electronically with the insurer, much as its DRP shops currently do. Dan Risley, a project manager for Allstate at the company’s Illinois home office, said this new “Transactional Non-DRP” system will enable any shop to upload estimates and digital images to Allstate, receive insurerwritten estimates from Allstate. “We realize not all customers use a network shop, and we want to make it easier to do business for those shops
VOL. 2 ISSUE 5 JULY 2011
Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA) Reveals 2011 Labor Rates Survey Results The Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA) conducted their 5th annual labor rates surveys for body shops in the metro Atlanta area earlier this year. CSi complete conducted the surveys, which were available online, over the phone and in a mail-in format in March and April of 2011. Turnout slightly decreased from the 2010 survey results in which 291 shops participated. “With over 500 shops in the Metro Atlanta area, to only have 230 respond is disappointing,” said GCIA President Howard Batchelor, “Shops need to realize that this survey is intended to help establish a fair market rate in the marketplace.” Businesses were asked to submit their posted door rates for body labor,
paint labor, frame labor, mechanical labor, paint and materials rate and storage rate. Paint and materials rates saw the largest increase over last year’s surveys with a 3.28 percent increase. Mechanical rates also saw a dramatic increase over 2010 with a 2.07 percent increase. “According to this year’s results, there was little change over last year, although the paint & material rate did go up by 3.28%. This clearly shows that the increase in raw material costs is affecting the shops profitability on paint and materials,” said Batchelor. Shop identities were not published with the results of this survey and will remain confidential. Names were used to track demographics and
REGIONAL ARTICLES in this issue...
See Labor Rates, Page 4
GCIA Reveals Labor Rates Survey Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 1 Alabama Auto Parts Maker Faces $179K in OSHA Fines . . . . . . .p. 4 Joplin, MO, GM Dealer Bolsters Community After Tornado . . . . .p. 6 Florida Judge Rules Red Light Cameras Unconstitutional . . . . .p. 7 Volkswagen Opens Chattanooga, Tennessee Plant . . . . . . . . . . .p. 9
NATIONAL ARTICLES in this issue...
Toyota to Face First US Sudden-Acceleration Test Trial in 2013 .p. 16 SUVs Now Safer Than Compact Cars in an Accident, IIHS . . . . .p. 18 Prevalent Airbag Fraud Prompts Increased Penalties in New CA Law .p. 19 Eileen Sottile and the Quality Parts Coalition Legislation . . . . . .p. 21
COLUMNS in this issue...
Schroeder — Chatham Parkway Collision Center in Savannah, .p. 12 Franklin — How to Survive a Summer Slump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 15 Weaver — A Homemade Air Bag Light—Brilliant Stupidity . . . . .p. 17 Insurance Insider —The “Neutral Information Provider” . . . . . . .p. 20 Williams — Apathy a Danger to Parts Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 22 Attanasio — Body Shops and Yelp: It’s a Love-Hate Relationship .p. 27 Cheney — Auto Recyclers Host Collision Repair Panel . . . . . . . .p. 28
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The New Laser Welding Technology ● Two Pennsylvania Collision Associations ● NHTSA: A Car is Not a Social Networking Device
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