Big Brother Wants To Ride Along With You

In case you haven’t heard about it, the Feds are adamant about the notion of installing a black box in every vehicle in the United States.

The event data recorder (EDR) is a device that’s similar to what we know of in airplanes which is called a “black box”. Information from the EDR can be collected after a crash and analyzed to help determine what the vehicles were doing before, during and after the crash or event (Wikipedia).

The NHTSA had originally set a time table for auto manufacturers to be compliant by September 1, 2010. Now the target date is going to be September 1, 2012. The NHTSA had hoped by 2010 over 85% of vehicles would have EDR’s installed.

The EDR is as you might already have guessed is very controversial. There are legal issues and privacy concerns. The EDR also has a history of inaccuracies.

There are at the present time thirteen states that make a specific reference to Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorders. That probably means that the EDR data would be recognized by a court of law in those states.

General Motors and Ford both are already implementing  this technology in new vehicles. Mercedes-Benz and Audi both are not using this technology at all.

Near the driver’s knees under the dashboard, is where the Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) is usually located at. Downloading the module which is attached to the airbag, is possible by hooking it up to the DLC. The download will use a system called “Bosch Diagnostic’s Crash Data Retrieval System”.

The little black box may provide valuable information to police officers and insurance companies. But many drivers will object to having Big Brother spy under the hood. It seems that there will always be a privacy issue with the EDR and a stigma attached to it.

Nevertheless, legislators are bent on making this law. Next month there might be legislation presented again. And if you have an airbag in your vehicle, the chances are good that you already have this little black box there as well. Drive safely.