Questions and answers on vehicle event data recorders, or ‘black boxes’

Some questions and answers on ‘black boxes’

Q: What is an Event Data Recorder?

A: Event Data Recorders, or EDRs, are devices located within most vehicles produced today that record information prior to an accident. The information and its sophistication varies, but it generally includes data on the position of the gas and brake pedals, vehicle speed, engine speed, whether an air bag deployed and whether a seat belt was buckled.

Q: Where are EDRs located?

A: They can be located in a variety of places, but are often positioned under the steering wheel or in the center console in between the driver and passenger seats.

Q: What is the difference between an EDR and an aircraft “black box”?

A: While both are used in crash investigations, an aircraft black box records much more extensive flight data for a much longer period of time. Vehicle EDRs typically only record data for the first few seconds before and after a crash. In addition, EDRs do not record voices, unlike airline black boxes.

Q: Who has access to EDR data?

A: Different automakers have different standards regarding who can access EDR data. General Motors Co., for example, has licensed the auto equipment maker Bosch to produce a device capable of downloading an EDR readout straight to a laptop computer. The device is commercially available and widely used by law enforcement when piecing together an accident. Both Chrysler Group LLC and Ford Motor Co. have similar agreements with Bosch.

Nissan produces its own device called Consult that it sells to law enforcement, dealers, mechanics and anyone else with a need to read computer data in Nissan vehicles. Consult is used for a variety of vehicle diagnostic purposes, a Nissan spokesman said, from determining the cause of a check-engine light to downloading EDR data.

Honda does not allow open access to its EDR data. Spokesman Ed Miller said the data is only readable by Honda and is made available only by court order.

Q: What is EDR data used for?

A: EDR data has a variety of uses. Automakers use EDR readouts to research vehicle safety. Law enforcement agencies use them to piece together the cause of accidents. Attorneys use them during criminal proceedings or lawsuits to help their clients.

Q: Does the government regulate the use of EDRs?

A: Automakers have been voluntarily installing EDRs in their vehicles for many years. The government currently does not require them or regulate their use. However, in 2006, the traffic safety agency of the Department of Transportation proposed rules that would standardize EDRs for automakers that use them. That rule is set to kick in starting in 2012. But the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an umbrella group for automakers that includes Toyota, has asked for a one-year extension on the rule, saying the automakers need more time to comply.