From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
SEMA is keeping its foot on the gas on the most important policy issue facing the aftermarket industry today: sound policy surrounding advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). To ensure lawmakers and staff understand the critical importance of the aftermarket's perspective, SEMA and several members on October 15 hit Capitol Hill for a whirlwind day of meetings and conversations centered on what our industry needs to account for the realities facing both vehicle owners and the aftermarket industry amid the rapid evolution of automotive safety technology.
Across 15 meetings, SEMA and a crack team of advocates from OPUS IVS, Quadratec, Hoonigan, American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) and Off Road Warehouse called on Congress to take a careful, comprehensive look at how the federal government can shape ADAS policies.
The urgency on the matter is the ongoing work in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to develop the 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, otherwise known as the highway bill. SEMA is working to ensure that lawmakers and committee staff understand the critical importance of properly recalibrating ADAS whenever a vehicle is customized or modified.
As the 2026 Highway Bill moves through Congress, SEMA will remain engaged in efforts to secure ADAS policy that champions the needs of the specialty-aftermarket industry.
Background
Aftermarket manufacturers design, sell and service a wide range of popular products--such as vehicle wraps, lift kits, bike racks, bumpers, winches and side mirrors--that must work seamlessly with the ADAS technologies integrated into today's vehicles. To ensure these systems perform properly throughout a vehicle's lifespan, aftermarket businesses seek federal guidelines that provide a clear roadmap regarding the range of ride height and vehicle profile modifications that maintain proper ADAS calibration. Additionally, the industry is advocating for the highway bill to provide federal guidelines to calibrate ADAS and validate that safety systems operate as originally designed to ensure driver and passenger safety.
