U.S. to propose mandatory vehicle 'black boxes'

[Feuer Frei!]

Most vehicles already had post-crash decelleration event data recorders, and that for several years the Lexus brand cars have recorded pre-crash events.
Now:

The U.S. Transportation Department said today it will propose making vehicle "black boxes" mandatory in all vehicles by the end of the year.
The department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has long considered whether to make black boxes, officially called event data recorders, or EDRs, mandatory. They collect data about the seconds leading up to a crash and can help investigators determine the cause.
Last year, Congress considered requiring EDRs in all vehicles. NHTSA Administrator David Strickland told Congress the agency was studying the issue.
The plan was included in a 197-page Transportation Department regulatory reform proposal released by the White House this morning.
"NHTSA plans to propose mandatory EDRs in all passenger vehicles in 2011," the Transportation Department said in the report.
In a separate agency document posted on its website, NHTSA said it is also working on a proposal "for future enhancements to (EDRs) capabilities and applicability."
But the agency said it hasn't decided whether to require EDRs in heavy-duty vehicles.
Most automobiles already have the devices. NHTSA estimated that about 64 percent of 2005 model passenger vehicles had the devices. Many major automakers already include them all vehicles, including General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Co.
In August 2006, NHTSA issued a rule setting standards for EDR data collection.
The rule, which takes effect in the 2013 model year, standardizes the information EDRs collect and makes retrieving the data easier. Devices must record 15 data elements, including vehicle deceleration, in specific formats.




Different automakers collect different data. In 2009, not all Toyota EDRs recorded both pre- and post-crash data. By the end of last year, all Toyota and Lexus vehicles included EDRs that can record both.
In May 2010, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the trade association GM, Ford, Chrysler Group LLC, Toyota and eight other automakers, endorsed making EDRs mandatory in all vehicles, but expressed concerns that some in Congress wanted more elaborate and expensive ones than are available.
The devices have been in use for about 20 years.
GM began widely installing the predecessor version of today's event data recorders in vehicles in the 1990 model year, and they became standard equipment in light duty vehicles in the 1995 model year.



SOURCE (http://detnews.com/article/20110526/AUTO01/105260436/1148/U.S.-to-propose-mandatory-vehicle-%C3%82%27black-boxes%C3%82%27)

[Schroeder]

As long as it's just recording the last 30 or so seconds before and after a crash it's fine by me.:cool:

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

As long as it's just recording the last 30 or so seconds before and after a crash it's fine by me.:cool:
I would even accept last 30-60 mins to allow seeing if there was for example brake problems before crash.

[Betonov]

Is this mandatory for all new cars, straight out of the line, or all cars on the motorway. Some of us own soon to be oldtimers and EU is soooo going to copy this. Love the idea though

[Platapus]

As long as all the parties involved in the court case have equal access to the data, I have no problem with it.

If, however, this is only for the use of the insurance companies and they control whether it is available for the trial (based on whether it helps or hurts their case) than I am against it.

Also all the data needs to be stored in the "black box" and not transmitted.

[Anthony W.]

As long as they can't access the data from the boxes without my consent (having a wireless connection), I'm somewhat okay with it.

But here is MY idea... How about, instead of having "safer" cars, we just have BETTER drivers...

Mandating a high school degree to hold a license, a clean criminal record, a test for license renewal, engine type ratings for vehicles (no bad drivers with big block muscle cars and foreign race cars), stricter regulations for street legalization (no cars with structurally compromising rust or other damage), things like that.

Theres a reason you don't find many bad pilots. It's decently difficult to get a pilots license.

[gimpy117]

I remember how one of these helped catch a man who killed 4 high school students in my town after running a red light. He said he was going "the speed limit and didn't see the light" he was actually doing 80 in a 45.

[magic452]

The data would have to be stored in the black box itself, only the police can have accesses to it and record only the last 10 or 15 minutes. It would than become part of the police accident report and public record.

That would be ok by me. With all the anti skid brakes it's much harder to get a accurate vehicle speed to help determine fault, no skid marks to measure as per gimpy's post

Magic

[gimpy117]

I was a bit off the numbers, it was a few years ago but heres the story:

http://archives.record-eagle.com/2004/oct/6fatal.htm

[Anthony W.]

The data would have to be stored in the black box itself, only the police can have accesses to it and record only the last 10 or 15 minutes. It would than become part of the police accident report and public record.

That would be ok by me. With all the anti skid brakes it's much harder to get a accurate vehicle speed to help determine fault, no skid marks to measure as per gimpy's post

Magic

I have an 07 and I don't have anti skid

[magic452]

Some do and some don't.

I have a 92 that does, an 05 that doesn't and an 07 that does.
It's kind of a hit or miss type thing but most 07 and above I think have anti skid at least as an option.

Magic

[Stealhead]

I think it is a good idea so long it has some limitations as others have mentioned.I think though that if certain data is found the police should be able to look farther back to show that the person was/is a dangerous driver.


I was surprised to read that ABS(anti-lock,anti-skid) was not required until 2010 in the US.ABS is one of those things that does make cars safer but people but much false faith in them you still need to be a good driver.

I think the idea of safer cars is a good idea Anthony you see in Germany getting a "full blown" drivers is much harder than in the US.They teach you how to drive what to do when something goes wrong and they teach you the laws of the road.I had to take a special DOD German drivers test(written) when I was stationed in Germany it was much harder than any American drivers test (written or other wise) that being said in Germany even though the drivers are much better trained due to the higher speeds driven accidents tend to be fatal much more often so just because people receive better training it does not mean things are safer.The higher the speed gets the more deadly an accident becomes.

A line of reason must be drawn when it comes to driving because in the US many Americans need to be able to drive to get to work.The best cure training wise would be to extend the learners permit so that you must be 18 before you can test to get your full license(or have had a learners for 3 years) They should set rules for different levels of driving.For example after having a learners for so long and you get higher level privileges.After you meet given requirements you can then take a practical and written test to get your full license which would allow you to go max speed (70-75 MPH) and drive on any type of road and have no hours restrictions.Also if you did not need to drive on higher speed roads at all or very little you could opt for a lesser drivers they could require that you place a sticker on your ride so the police could know the type of license you had.

Then for higher performance rides you must first have the full drivers and take an additional practical drivers course training you how to drive the high power car safely (you'd still be limited to traffic laws)

I think you need all three to make roads safer,Black Boxes,better driver training and inspections to some extent. Of course here in Florida there are lots of people who drive and do not even have a license so I'm sure they do this in every state so even if you make rules some people will not follow them.

[Growler]

I'm curious as to whether there's any kind of impact sensor in this package; it's interesting to me, insofar as I only have an estimate from an investigating LEO as to the speed of the truck that hit me in 07. I know that my smaller, lighter truck was stopped, but we could only estimate the speed that the heavier truck that hit me was travelling. Curiosity's sake, at this point, but I can imagine where the data would have been useful to the insurance company and the lawyers, as well as the police, if any citations were (or should have been) issued.