The relationship between insurance companies and bodyshops has been something of a battleground over the years, but does changing technology mean that this is about to end?

The US bodyshop news network Collision Hub recently posted an interesting glimpse into the future, a video entitled, “Virtual Steering The Future Of Automotive Collision Claims”.  It show how telematics might impact on the whole accident reporting, recovery and claims process and ultimately how it is likely to be the car makers that drive repairs towards their own approved networks.

The video shows how the car makers monitoring centre knows as soon as the accident takes place and is even able to assess the damage through onboard diagnostics. In this instance it is the manufacturer that contacts the insurer, arranges recover and a replacement vehicle. It is also the manufacturer that gives the driver his repairer choice options.

It may also sound a little far-fetched, but under the European e-call directive all new cars will have to be fitted with this technology from April 2018 and in anticipation of this many vehicle manufacturers already fit such devices.

What the video does illustrate is that moving forward it is likely to be the vehicle manufacturers rather than insurers who have a bigger say in how and where cars are repaired rather than the insurance companies. For the independent bodyshop this is likely to mean more specialisation and the need to forge closer links to the vehicle makers. It remains to be seen whether a more understanding relationship between car makers and bodyshops can emerge, or if it will just be a case of “out of the frying pan and into the fire” for repairers.