Recent high profile crashes have drawn attention to a small black box equipped in 60 to 90 percent of 2004 passenger vehicles. An event data recorder, or black box, is a relatively obscure piece of equipment that gathers pre crash information about the vehicle in the event of a severe crash. EDRs gather data on the vehicle speed, brake status, airbag deployment and safety belt usage for the five-eight second period immediately prior to a crash. General Motors have been installing black boxes since the mid -90s and most GM models come equipped with the equipment. Other manufacturers are following GM's lead.  

The Safety Value of EDRs

Data obtained from these black boxes provide safety information to a diverse group of stakeholders - motor vehicle manufacturers, design engineers, crash researchers and traffic safety analysts. Crash details that are captured by the vehicle's recorder can provide traffic safety professionals with an unfiltered perspective on the vehicle's operating functions in response to a motorist's actions in the pre-crash stage. Access to such data can significantly contribute to the understanding of the immediate factors contributing to the crash, making possible analysis that can lead to safety improvements.  

Data Ownership

Collection of data from black boxes raises important privacy and data ownership issues for motorists. To date, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has refrained from initiating any action regarding consumer's privacy rights related to EDR data. Its primary focus remains on data standardization, collection and consumer notification. AAA believes that owners have the right to know that a black box is installed in their vehicle and is encouraging NHTSA to require manufacturers to include notification in the vehicle owner's manual. NHTSA plans to issue a rule in 2005.