ELECTION RESULTS: Massachusetts Ballot Question 1 – Right to Repair
Posted: Nov 3, 2020 / 02:23 PM EST / Updated: Nov 3, 2020 / 11:20 PM EST
(WWLP) – Question 1 expands on the "Right to Repair Law" that was passed in 2012, which requires vehicle owners and independent repair facilities in Massachusetts to have access to the same vehicle diagnostic and repair information made available to the manufacturers' Massachusetts dealers and authorized repair facilities.
With 60 percent of precincts reporting, "Yes" for Question 1 has more than 75 percent of the votes, and "No" has nearly 25 percent.
The Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition declared victory on ballot Question 1. Director of the Coalition, Tommy Hickey, stated, "By voting yes on 1, Massachusetts has now updated Right to Repair for the modern age of connected cars. The thousands of 'Yes on 1' signs in front of small businesses around the state tell the story, automakers were trying to corner the market on car repairs, but the voters stopped them."
Hickey added, "The people have spoken—by a huge margin—in favor of immediately updating right to repair so it applies to today's high-tech cars and trucks."
The new legislation updates the law to include wireless technology, known as 'telematics' information. In cars, that have telematics, the information currently only flows from the car directly to automakers and dealerships.
Proponents of Question 1 say it would create a shared database for telematics that can be used by independent repair shops too, beginning with the model year 2022.
Opponents to the new law are concerned about an increased risk of cybersecurity attacks and criminals accessing people's vehicles and personal driving data, including real-time location.
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