ADAS 32 www.aftermarketonline.net MAY 2026 The need for ADAS skills as autonomous vehicles move closer to deployment As self-driving vehicles edge closer to UK roads, Autotech Training is urging the automotive sector to prioritise Advanced Driver Assistance Systems training as the essential foundation for safely supporting the next generation of autonomous vehicles. Under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, the UK has established a legal framework covering safety, liability and insurance for automated vehicles, paving the way for the first limited deployments which are expected later this year. However, while public focus often centres on driverless taxis and buses, industry adoption is accelerating first in highutilisation, specialist environments. Industry leading the first wave Airports are already emerging as a key proving ground for autonomous vehicle deployment. Teesside International Airport has begun piloting autonomous passenger shuttles and baggage-handling systems as part of a phased rollout of driverless systems across its operations. Autonomous vehicles are also being introduced within port and container terminals, and automated shuttle services are being piloted to connect business parks, university campuses and transport interchanges. Local authorities are also exploring driverless shuttle links between regional transport hubs, including airportto-harbour connections in Scotland. These environments offer predictable routes, managed operating domains and measurable efficiency gains, making them well suited to early-stage deployment before wider adoption in private vehicle ownership. Lessons from EV adoption The trajectory mirrors the evolution of electric vehicles. A decade ago, EVs accounted for just over 1% of the UK car parc. Growth was initially driven not only by private motorists, but by fleet operators, delivery companies and public sector organisations able to deploy vehicles within predictable operating patterns and controlled charging infrastructure. Today, there are more than one million electric vehicles on British roads. That expansion was enabled by regulatory clarity, infrastructure investment and, critically, a workforce retrained to manage high-voltage systems safely and competently. The lesson for autonomy is clear: technological progress alone does not determine adoption. Skills readiness across the service and repair network is equally decisive. Industry projections suggest that by 2035, up to 40% of new car sales could feature self-driving capabilities, with the sector potentially supporting 38,000 jobs and contributing £42 billion to the UK economy. However, the transition to autonomy will not be defined solely by AI and software. It will depend heavily on the integrity, calibration and maintenance of the physical sensor stack that enables automated decision-making. Autonomous vehicles rely on a complex integration of cameras, radar and, in many cases, LiDAR, alongside ultrasonic sensors and high-precision GNSS inputs. These components feed advanced control units that interpret the vehicle’s environment in real time. Even minor misalignment following routine repairs, windscreen replacement, suspension work or minor collision damage can compromise system accuracy. In higher levels of automation, where vehicles assume dynamic driving tasks, the tolerance for calibration error becomes even smaller.
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