Mandating the installation of EDRs - Black Boxes

[Feuer Frei!]

EDR's, short for Event Data Recorders, or Black Boxes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rule requires all light passenger vehicles be equipped with an EDR [event data recorder] by Sep.1, 2014. Ninety-six percent of new cars already have them — measuring such inputs as speed, lateral acceleration, pedal effort, seat belt use, wheel spin, steering wheel turn and direction.

SOURCE

[Wolferz]

They can put one in my pick up truck... if they pay for it! Otherwise they can go fish. The EDR will be a pain in the butt for folks driving older vehicles that predate ECMs and ABS and I see it as cost prohibitive in a big way. The article didn't mention any grandfather clause and leaves me to assume a great many questions. Like...
Are they only requiring this on newly manufactured cars?
Are they going to require this on any and all cars now on the road?
Are they going to subsidize the installation of all the necessary electronics and sensors required to make the EDR work as intended?
Are they going to just kick older vehicles off the road for not having it?

Will LEOs be given equipment to plug into a speeding motorists car to prove how fast they were travelling during their trip?

The noblest of intentions don't always pan out in practical applications.
Just more lawmaker stupidity if you ask me.

[Ducimus]

I wonder how hard it would be to remove it and if cars will be hardwired to have them or not work correctly.

[soopaman2]

My concern is how many more thousands will this add to the prices of a car.

Not like automotive companies ever balked at a chance for extra profits.

Unit costs 1k, sell it for 4 k extra.

(Oh I edited, oh noes)

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I wonder how hard it would be to remove it and if cars will be hardwired to have them or not work correctly.

I bet someone with a little knowledge of the system could remove/disconnect it.

Legality of such action? I got no idea. What if a car that should have EDR is part
of an accident and the investigators find out the device has been removed/disconnected.
What would happen then?

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Dowly

I bet someone with a little knowledge of the system could remove/disconnect it.

Legality of such action? I got no idea. What if a car that should have EDR is part
of an accident and the investigators find out the device has been removed/disconnected.
What would happen then?

Hypothetically speaking should one be in my car, I am honestly not overly concerned about the legality of removing a device such as this from my personal property.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Hypothetically speaking should one be in my car, I am honestly not overly concerned about the legality of removing a device such as this from my personal property.

Guess that's for the feds to decide.

Though, system like this could do some good too, in unclear situations, the data
from an EDR might prove to be crucial. But, of course, it can be a PITA too.

Ah well, like Bubbles said in another thread: I dont live there so what do I know.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I wonder how hard it would be to remove it and if cars will be hardwired to have them or not work correctly.

Oh, they'll hardwire the things in there and make it a felony to remove or circumvent them.
IE: My 1995 Chevrolet truck came with a federally mandated driver's side airbag. If I pull the fuse on the airbag to prevent accidental deployment while working on it, the automatic transmission won't shift out of first gear until I put the fuse back.
I would wager that the same thing would happen if I removed the airbag altogether, which is integrated into the horn button and prevents me from installing a custom steering wheel.

I have no doubt that I could bypass it by simply installing the proper value resistor across the connection to fool the ECM into thinking the airbag was still there. But I won't. I kind of like the idea of getting punched in the face for not paying attention to the road.

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

I kind of like the idea of getting punched in the face for not paying attention to the road.

As many wrecks I have worked, that is usually the case.

I always do enjoy the people who have to call 911 for not seeing that cement pylon (painted safety yellow btw) in the parking lot and running smack into it. Not much damage to it or the car, but they end up with minor burns and a bloody nose from the airbag.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

They can put one in my pick up truck... if they pay for it! Otherwise they can go fish. The EDR will be a pain in the butt for folks driving older vehicles that predate ECMs and ABS and I see it as cost prohibitive in a big way. The article didn't mention any grandfather clause and leaves me to assume a great many questions. Like...
Are they only requiring this on newly manufactured cars?
Are they going to require this on any and all cars now on the road?
Are they going to subsidize the installation of all the necessary electronics and sensors required to make the EDR work as intended?
Are they going to just kick older vehicles off the road for not having it?

Will LEOs be given equipment to plug into a speeding motorists car to prove how fast they were travelling during their trip?

The noblest of intentions don't always pan out in practical applications.
Just more lawmaker stupidity if you ask me.

Also overlooked in CA is the Fast-Pass which is currently monitored "only" strictly for traffic flow pattern analysis along all freeways. Users are given a mylar envelope to place the pass in if they don't wish to be monitored other than in a toll lane or at a toll bridge. How long will that last in a "police state"?