Posted by
Auto Care News
on
November 18, 2020
Global support backing
car data ownership for consumers grows with addition of Canadian automotive
aftermarket association
OTTAWA, Ontario –
November 18, 2020 – The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada today
announced its support for the Your Car.
Your Data. Your Choice.™ campaign, adding to the already growing movement
focused on ensuring consumer access and control over car data.
Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ is an Auto Care Association and Automotive
Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) education initiative that engages car
owners, policymakers, and other stakeholders on issues related to car data,
including what it is, why it matters, and its implications for consumer choice.
Without control of and direct access to the wireless diagnostic and repair
information generated by telematics and wirelessly transmitted from cars,
consumers could face greater inconvenience, increased costs and fewer options
for repair and maintenance services.
“The expansion of this campaign into Canada
demonstrates the increasing support and urgency amongst the independent auto
care industry to combat restricted car data access and control,” said Bill
Hanvey, president, and CEO of Auto Care Association. “We’re thrilled to welcome
our friends from AIA Canada into this growing operation and stand by their
efforts to ensure Canada’s car owners have the right to choose who repairs
their car.”
“AIA Canada is proud to
join the Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association
(AASA) in this vital campaign, which we hope will connect with drivers across
Canada,” said Jean-François Champagne, president of AIA Canada. “This is an
issue that has significant implications for the aftermarket industry worldwide,
and we are excited to join the fight for both our industry’s livelihood and
greater consumer choice.”
The support of AIA Canada will help increase awareness of the issues
surrounding car access data and control in Canada. Educational materials hosted
on the AIA Canada campaign website will help to raise awareness among industry
and consumers about control of, and access to, vehicle data. The campaign will
also encourage industry and consumers to take action by signing a petition that
asks the Government of Canada to give consumers control of their vehicle data.
“Our campaign has
engaged so many people because a vast majority of car owners agree they should
have control of their car data to ensure choice on where and with what parts
their vehicles are repaired and maintained,” said Paul McCarthy, president of
AASA. “We welcome Canadian drivers joining the groundswell on this issue, which
reflects the importance and global nature of this need to protect consumer
choice and a competitive market for vehicle service.”
AIA Canada joins the already successful Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ campaign
in the United States, which has secured nearly 30,000 signatures for its petition demanding
the United States Congress ensures drivers have a right to directly access and
control their car data. Last spring, Bill Hanvey authored an op-ed
published in The New York Times that helped draw attention to the significant issues surrounding
data collection and ownership in modern cars. And just this month, on November 3, 2020 – Election Day in
the United States proved to be a moment of victory for the auto care
industry. Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly voiced their support at the
ballot box for Ballot Question 1, which will preserve their right as vehicle
owners to have access to and control of their vehicle’s mechanical data
necessary for service and repair at the shops of their choice.
AIA Canada represents more than 4,000 member locations
across Canada in support of the entire automotive aftermarket supply and
service chain. Canada currently has an estimated $32.2 billion1 automotive aftermarket industry value and up to 491,800 Canadians employed in
2019.
For more information on the
Your
Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ campaign, visit yourcaryourdata.org and to get involved in Canada, visit www.vehicledataaccess.aiacanada.com.
1 2020 Outlook Study: A Resilient Industry. October
2020. AIA Canada. Due to changes to
methodology and the inclusion of collision and mechanical sectors in the 2020
Outlook Study, revenue estimates are not comparable to those in previous AIA outlook
studies.