The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been pushing for the implementation of engravers of details of event, informally known as "black boxes" for quite some time. Next month is expected to the Agency to make it official and EDRs mandate for future production vehicles. Do while no one would say that most safe cars are a good thing, the implementation of the EDRs in all new vehicles raises two important issues: who owns the data, and how much these devices will increase the cost of a new car?
EDRs have been installed on some vehicles since the early 1990s, but the amount of data captured often was minimal. Principles EDRs data captured only in the use of belt of security, the severity of the accident and diagnostics of the system, but current EDRs are able to capture and store many more data points. One of data points is lowered, they can potentially show how a car has been driven over time. For example, to follow regular days in his Corvette, and data may show a build-up of excess speed, braking and the curves of forces. If the data available, is one thing: in 37 States, there is no statute barring access to EDR data, and in the remaining 13 States, police can still access the data with a search warrant. Thanks to EDR data, drivers have been convicted and imprisoned for causing an accident, which establishes a legal priority to the admission of EDR data in court.
Another issue which the NHTSA has yet to address is the cost of the application. Unlike black boxes from plane, automobile EDRs are not reinforced and not flame retardant. Last year, the NHTSA pushed for "resistant" EDRs, able to withstand severe accidents, fires and even immersion in water. As specified, the EDRs would have cost approximately $5,000 to produce, which means that the cost of new cars would be worth over $5,000. Car manufacturers are not in the business of losing money and previous experience with manufacturing tells me that double cost of production before moving on with consumers is often the norm. Are willing to pay another $10,000 for your next car? Not $33,000 Honda Civic Si sound attractive, especially if the data recorded can raise insurance rates or send him to jail?
It is too early to say what will implement the NHTSA for requirements of EDR, but it is safe to assume that some form of EDR will be necessary for vehicles produced in the near future. Whether it is good or bad depends on your point of view, but I can not say that I am very excited with the prospect of higher prices of cars and monitor the driving.
