Crash Repairs — Designing in Cost Savings Over the Next Decade

This paper deals with the directions we can foresee in the next decade for mitigating the cost of repair of passenger vehicles after they suffer crash damage. It examines some characteristics of the damage processes and the nature of the present repair industry. The effects of present trends in vehicle design on crash damage and the repair process are discussed. Prevention by design rather than changes in tools or techniques seems to be the most significant chance of reducing the social cost of physical damage to autos.