Auto Windscreens is to adopt new BSI automotive glazing repair standards from this month.

Auto Windscreens will adopt the new BSI automotive glazing repair standards from this month

Developed by the British Standards Institution and a panel of experts, the new standards (BSau242b) take stock of evolving Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and head-up display (HUD) technology and implement changes as to where repairs are permitted while stating that replacements are required in windscreen areas supported by any aspect of ADAS or HUD technology.

It’s the first time that the standards have been changed since 1998.

Tony Green, head of technical training at Auto Windscreens and part of the panel of experts involved in helping to oversee the introduction of the new standards, said the changes were essential in a fast-changing sector.

He explained: “With the introduction of ADAS technology and the popularity of panoramic windscreens in MPVs and 4x4s, the changes in vehicles on our roads in the last 24 years are quite literally through the roof.

“Windscreens have increased by around 33% in height since 1998 – a Fiesta windscreen is now 28% bigger than it was back then, and the largest production windscreen, from the Tesla Model X, is around 55% larger than the size of an old Fiesta’s.

“The industry now is very different to the one I joined, and with vehicle technology changing all the time, it’s important the repair standards reflect this.”