ADAS & Safety
If your car has been in a crash, fixing the panels and paint is only part of the job. Modern vehicles rely on a hidden network of cameras, radar units and ultrasonic sensors to power features like autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. When those sensors are knocked even a few millimetres out of position, they need to be returned to factory specification before your car is safe to drive again. That process is called ADAS calibration.
For most drivers, this is the first time they’ve heard the term, and it usually comes up after a stressful event when they just want their vehicle back. The trouble is, an uncalibrated safety system can be worse than no safety system at all. A camera that thinks the road is shifted half a metre to the left will steer you toward it. A radar that misjudges distance will brake too late, or not at all.
This guide explains what ADAS calibration is, when it’s required, how it’s done, and why it matters more than most people realise.
ADAS stands for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. These are the automated safety features built into nearly every new vehicle on Australian roads, including:
All of these features rely on sensors. Cameras sit behind the windscreen, behind the badge or inside wing mirrors. Radar units hide behind the front and rear bumpers. Ultrasonic parking sensors are buried in the panels themselves. Each sensor has a precise mounting angle and a specific field of view, and the car’s computer assumes those positions are exact.
ADAS calibration is the process of restoring that exactness. After a repair, a qualified technician uses specialised equipment, manufacturer-approved targets, and software to confirm every sensor is pointing where the carmaker intended. Only then can the safety systems make accurate decisions on your behalf.
The technology is now standard rather than optional. Autonomous Emergency Braking became a mandatory Australian Design Rule for new vehicle models from March 2023, and for all models on sale from March 2025, according to the National Road Safety Partnership Program. The safety case is clear: AEB alone has been shown to reduce police-reported crashes by 55 per cent and vehicle occupant trauma by 28 per cent.
Even a low-speed bingle can knock a sensor out of alignment. A 5 km/h tap in a car park is enough to shift a radar mount by a degree or two, and at highway speeds, that small angular error translates into a sighting that is metres off where the car thinks it is.
This matters for three reasons.
Safety. A miscalibrated AEB system might brake unnecessarily on an empty road, or stay silent when there’s a real obstacle in front of you. Lane keep assist can steer you toward the kerb instead of away from it. Adaptive cruise control can close the gap to the car ahead too aggressively. These systems are designed to save lives, but only when they’re accurate.
Insurance and liability. Insurers expect repairs to be completed to the manufacturer’s standard, which includes calibration. If a system fails after a poorly finished repair, the question of who is liable becomes complicated.
Warranty and resale. Manufacturer warranties require the vehicle to be maintained and repaired according to OEM procedures. Skipping calibration after a sensor-affected repair can void the warranty on the safety systems, and any future buyer running a vehicle history check will see incomplete work.
The systems are also intertwined. A camera that’s slightly off can corrupt the data feeding the radar, which in turn affects the steering inputs. Calibrating one sensor without checking the others is not enough. A proper post-repair process verifies the whole network.
Most drivers assume calibration is only needed after a serious collision. In reality, the trigger list is much longer. ADAS calibration is required after:
Your repairer should run a pre-repair diagnostic scan to identify every system that may have been affected, and a post-repair scan to confirm everything is functioning correctly. This is part of the standard process at AMA Collision diagnostic scanning, which sits alongside calibration in the workflow.
There are two main methods of calibration, and many vehicles require both.
Static calibration happens indoors, in a controlled environment. The vehicle is positioned on a perfectly level floor inside a calibration bay with consistent lighting and no visual clutter. Manufacturer-specific target boards are placed at exact distances and angles in front of, behind, or around the car. The vehicle’s diagnostic system then walks the technician through aligning each sensor to those targets using laser measurement tools.
Dynamic calibration requires the vehicle to be driven on the road at specified speeds, often between 50 and 90 km/h, for a set distance. The car’s onboard computer uses lane markings, signage and surrounding traffic to teach the sensors what “straight” and “centred” should look like in the real world.
Which method your car needs is determined by the manufacturer, not the workshop. Some vehicles require static only, some require dynamic only, and many newer models require both procedures in sequence to be fully recalibrated. The process is documented in a calibration certificate and a post-scan report, which form part of the repair record handed back to you.
This is also where the gear matters. A proper calibration bay needs a level floor, manufacturer-approved targets for the specific make and model, radar alignment lasers, and a stabilised power supply that holds the vehicle’s voltage steady throughout the procedure. Cutting corners on equipment is one of the most common reasons calibrations fail.
It’s a fair question: if the car still drives, why does it matter? The answer is that the systems can appear to work while being dangerously inaccurate.
A 2-degree misalignment of a forward-facing radar can shift its detection zone several metres to one side at 80 km/h. The dashboard shows no warning light. The AEB is still active in testing. But the system is now watching the wrong patch of road. In an emergency, it may not see the vehicle directly in front of you, or it may brake hard for a parked car in the adjacent lane.
Common real-world consequences of skipped or incomplete calibration include:
None of these failures throws a fault code straight away. The damage is often invisible until the moment the system is asked to perform.
Not every smash repairer can complete ADAS calibration in-house. Some sublet the work, which adds time and creates handover gaps. Others skip it entirely on the assumption that nothing major was hit. When you’re choosing a repairer, look for a few specific things.
OEM procedures. The repairer should follow the manufacturer’s published calibration method for your exact make and model, using approved targets and software. Generic tools do not meet most carmakers’ standards.
Trained technicians. Look for I-CAR certification or equivalent industry training in ADAS and electronic vehicle systems. Calibration is a precision job, not a guess.
Pre and post-scan documentation. A reputable repairer provides a documentation pack at handover, including the pre-scan report, the calibration certificate and the post-scan report confirming all fault codes have cleared.
Insurer recognition. National insurer-approved repairer networks have to meet defined quality standards. This is a useful filter, especially if you’re going through a claim.
Warranty backing. Workmanship should be guaranteed for the life of your ownership of the vehicle.
AMA Collision operates more than 130 repair centres across Australia and New Zealand, all using OEM-aligned procedures, I-CAR-trained technicians, and a lifetime workmanship warranty. The full process for ADAS calibration covers pre-scan, repair, static and dynamic calibration, and documented post-repair verification. The same standards apply to electric vehicle repairs, where ADAS systems are often more sensitive due to high-voltage architecture and tighter sensor tolerances.
A simple single-system calibration can be completed in the same day, typically within two to four hours. Multi-system jobs, windscreen-related calibrations, and EV-specific work can take longer because each system must be calibrated in sequence and then verified together. Your repairer should give you a clear timeline at the start of the job.
In most cases, yes. If calibration is required as part of an insured repair, it’s treated as part of the claim. Major Australian insurers work directly with approved repairer networks to authorise and document the work. If you’re uncertain, ask your repairer to confirm with your insurer before the job starts.
The car will physically drive, but its safety systems may be inaccurate or disabled, and you may not know which. Driving with miscalibrated ADAS is not illegal, but it does mean the technology designed to protect you may behave unpredictably. If your repairer has flagged calibration as required, it should be completed before the vehicle returns to the road.
Yes, and often more extensively. EVs typically run more sophisticated driver assistance suites, including regenerative braking integration, single-pedal driving algorithms, and tighter battery management that interacts with sensor power supply. EV-specific calibration requires technicians trained on high-voltage systems and access to manufacturer software for the specific brand.
Cost varies by vehicle make, the number of systems involved, and whether static and dynamic procedures are both required. For an insurance-covered repair, the cost is included in the claim. For a private-pay repair, ask your repairer for a written quote that itemises each calibration step. The AMA Collision online assessment is a quick way to get an initial estimate based on photos.
ADAS calibration is the quiet, technical part of a collision repair that most drivers never think about until it’s missed. Done properly, it’s the difference between a car that looks repaired and a car that actually is. Done poorly, or skipped, it leaves you driving a vehicle whose safety systems are guessing.
If your car has been in a crash, had its windscreen replaced, or had any work done near a camera, radar or sensor, ADAS calibration should be part of the conversation with your repairer. AMA Collision completes calibrations to OEM standards at more than 130 centres nationwide, backed by a lifetime workmanship warranty and full pre and post-scan documentation. Start an online assessment or find your nearest AMA Collision centre to book your vehicle in.