The use of black boxes in automobiles dates back to the 1990’s when General Motors first installed them on test vehicles to conduct quality studies. Since then, approximately 96% of all new vehicles sold in the United States come equipped with black boxes. The amount of information stored has expanded, letting engineers and researches use the information to study how vehicles perform in the real world and allows them to identify safety problems. Government regulations require that the presence of a black box be disclosed in the vehicle owner’s manual, but most drivers are not aware that they are there, capturing and recording speed, brake position, seat belt use, etc… every time they get behind the wheel. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Event Data Recorders
NHTSA To Make EDRs Mandatory On Vehicles
According to announcements made by the U.S. government, next month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be making an official announcement to make Event Data Recorders (EDR’s) mandatory on vehicles. The bill was proposed by Senator Tom Udall last year, after problems of unintended acceleration on Toyota vehicles.
The information stored by the EDR’s will record a short period of data starting from just before the accident to just shortly after. It will be used by state authorities to determine the cause of the crash, by the NHTSA to compile real world statistics and by American automobile manufacturers to help them understand crashes and how they take place.
Not everyone agrees with mandatory EDR’s. Critics say that the boxes will make the purchase of vehicles more expensive for consumers, while privacy experts question how the information will be used. They say that small modification to the EDR’s could allow your driving to be monitored all the time. Police would be able to issue speeding tickets without actually being at the scene, or insurance companies to judge your driving before they determine your rates. Some feel that the information could go as far as to be used to track a drivers every move.
