At Tools 2025, I had the chance to sit in on several sessions led by some of the industry’s top trainers. One class that truly hit home was an ADAS course by Keith Perkins of L1 Training. It was one of the most eye-opening experiences of the event.
Anyone “in the know” understands the critical role Automatic Driver Assist Systems play in modern vehicle safety – but it’s not just the technology that matters. It’s the precision. We Don’t Know, Therefore We Don’t Care Keith’s class drove this point home with powerful clarity.
As he showed example after example of dangerous shortcuts and outright ignorance in ADAS calibration, it struck me: this room should’ve been standing-room only. The industry needs this message and education.
Keith’s central theme was sobering: “We don’t know, therefore we don’t care.” Let that sit with you for a moment.
We Don’t Know, Therefore We Don’t Care – missed calibrations, ignored OE service procedures, and one profound example where a front radar was off by just 1%. That slight misalignment? It rendered the system ineffective and unsafe.
We heard stories of shops discovering calibration problems only after the vehicle left a “professional” repair – not because they were trying to cut corners, but because they simply didn’t know better. Or worse, didn’t care.
The reality is this: if a job affects ADAS, there must be a plan for recalibration. That might mean partnering with a calibration center and having a real conversation with the customer about additional costs – because their safety is on the line.
The takeaway? Continuing education isn’t optional – it’s our duty. Explaining to a customer why a 1% radar misalignment matters could be the most important conversation you have that day. Calibration isn’t an upsell. According to the OE, it’s a requirement.
