U.K. Automotive Group Calls for Licensing Technicians

The Institute of the Motor Industry wants the U.K. government to license the automotive retail sector, saying vehicle technology has reached a level where regulation is necessary to ensure automotive technicians are competent – for the safety of motorists.

In a new lobbying campaign, IMI will tell members of Parliament new consumer research shows more than 70% of voters think technicians in the motor industry already are required to hold a license to practice.

IMI’s aim is to ensure the automotive retail sector has a skilled, competent and professional workforce that is equipped to keep pace with the demands of new technology and changing markets, through career advice, accreditations and membership.

It cites a report from Brake, a U.K. road-safety advocacy group, saying 2,125 crashes in Britain in 2011 were caused by vehicle defects as a result of inadequate maintenance, 52 of them causing deaths.

The IMI’s CEO, Steve Nash, says the government’s plan to have driverless cars on U.K. roads by 2015 makes the issue of licensing extremely urgent.

“The proliferation of hybrid vehicles and complex driver-assist systems has already increased the skills requirements for effective and safe working on modern vehicles,” Nash says in a statement. “Service technicians without the proper training are increasingly putting themselves and motorists at risk.”

IMI research suggests members of Paliament see the motor industry as low-skilled, low-paid and dirty. “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,” Nash says.

“Many skilled operators in the industry are already calling for licensing, so they aren’t forced to compete with rogue traders, who undercut them, further damaging the reputation of the sector and putting motorists at risk.”

The IMI has received support from several major companies and organizations for licensing including apprenticeship trainer REMIT, John Clarke Motor Group and TrustFord, previously known as Ford Retail.