Shop changes name to reflect growing focus on safety-enhancing driving technologies

Advanced Tire & Auto Center has changed its name to Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers (AACC) in a move that reflects its growing focus on the next-generation technologies known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS.

"We are the first dedicated calibration center in New Jersey for the maintenance, repair and delicate calibration of these safety-enhancing systems for all makes and models," said veteran auto technician Jason Bigelow, who runs the 24-year-old business along with his wife, Janet, also an expert on ADAS and other advanced automotive technologies. "These systems help drivers avoid collisions, stay in their lanes, monitor their blind spots, and much more."

Today's cameras, radar and other sensors require careful calibration to keep them working properly, and demand continues to grow for the specialized ADAS training, expertise and diagnostic technology that has become the dominant focus of the Keyport business over the past five years, Janet Bigelow noted.
"We're big believers in the efficiency of these systems, so long as they are expertly maintained and repaired," she said, "and a growing number of local insurance companies and body shops also recognize the need to make sure trained experts calibrate, maintain and repair critical ADAS systems."

AACC opened its second location in Old Bridge to exclusively serve its insurance-industry and body shop clients precisely because of this growing demand for expert ADAS services, Janet Bigelow said. These new technologies, while highly beneficial, do complicate auto maintenance and repair, she added.

"In the old days when a car got in a fender-bender, the repair was simple," she explained. "Today, that fender may contain sensors that require expert recalibration, down to the last millimeter, and even a minor collision can knock sensors off-kilter in ways that lead to faulty readings, often causing the system itself to automatically shut down to preserve driver safety."

With its longstanding location at 146 Highway 35 in Keyport, AACC is well known for its focus on diagnosing and repairing state-of-the-art, 21st-century vehicles. Its highly trained service technicians leverage 21 factory O.E. diagnostic tools to perform the same level of service offered by dealerships.

The I-CAR-trained techs also have the tools and training to calibrate ADAS systems—Subaru EyeSight, Honda LaneWatch, Nissan Around View Monitor and many others—that are increasingly part of today's vehicles, Jason Bigelow noted. "To be at the forefront of this field, you have to know the individual sensitivities and specifications of a wide-range of ADAS systems and invest in the corresponding diagnostic and calibration systems associated with them," he explained. "It is a fulltime undertaking."

As part of the name change, Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers launched a new website at AdvancedADAS.com.

Introduction of this sophisticated sensory technology—much of it developed as part of the push for autonomous vehicles—stands to bolster safety, performance and the driving experience in fascinating ways in the years ahead, Jason Bigelow added. Systems in this broad category can prevent brakes from locking; automatically adjust cruise-control speeds; dim or brighten lights as needed, or allow cars to park themselves, to name a few common applications. These technologies rely on everything from small backup cameras to LIDAR sensors (essentially, radar with lasers). "The transformative potential of ADAS is truly exciting," he said. "At AACC, we're thrilled to be on the leading edge of this transformative change."