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By Matthew Wright, About.com Guide to Auto Repair

Anti-Steering Legislation: Will They Get It Straight?

Thursday May 8, 2008
Anti-Steering Legislation. Most drivers have never heard of such a thing. Is this a new law banning Big Macs while driving? This may be a disgusting sight but no, this piece of law has a much greater impact on us and our pocketbooks.

When you're in an accident you rely on an insurance company, either yours or the guy that smacked you, to return your vehicle to its state before the damage. We expect them to use quality parts and quality labor for the repairs, you want a fix you can trust! Years ago we saw the insurance industry turned on its head for trying to force inferior body parts on repair shops. The courts decided in favor of car owners, and now in most states they have to pay for real (original equipment) parts if you request it.

The latest attempt at insurance company oppression is called "steering." When you make a claim for a repair, historically you've been able to have a shop of your choosing write up an estimate and make the repairs. Now, insurance companies are trying to restrict the shops you can use to a pre-approved list of facilities. In other words, they're telling you where to get your car repaired. The shops are probably quality establishments for the most part, but if they're getting steady income from all of the insurance company business, who do you think they have on their minds when they're making decisions regarding your repair? Human nature and good business practices say you'll be number two on the list. Anti-steering legislation will stop this practice. It's a good idea and will ensure fairness when it comes to your car repairs.

Read more about anti-steering legislation from Automotive Body Repair News.

Comments

May 13, 2008 at 12:46 pm
(1) TK_M says:

This has been common in the UK for years. Oddly it does seem to work fairly well, but that seems to be down to the (usually independant) garages being pretty honest.

I beleive the original reason was to stop an agrieved owner taking their car to the most expensive place they can find out of spite and to try and bump up the other driver’s insurance in future out of revenge.

Still, if you are the victim, you are still left feeling your poor car is being repaired for the cheapest possible price.

May 13, 2008 at 10:36 pm
(2) Alan says:

Todays auto finishes and plastic panels require special paints and application techinques not found in most smaller shops. This may be a reason for the steerage but won’t be applicable in alot of cases till all the older cars are off the road.

I stand against it!

May 18, 2008 at 10:37 pm
(3) Bill says:

This is common practice in the US…..in health insurance. If you go to a provider in the “network”, they pay 90%, if you go out of network, they pay 80%. On my vision care rider, out of network providers are not covered at all. Sounds horrible, but get used to it, it is coming. It’s all about cost control.

May 19, 2008 at 12:26 am
(4) autorepair says:

Excellent analogy. If you’re right about the direction of auto insurance, we’re screwed for sure.

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