Police and Law Enforcement News

Whether your know it or not, your patrol car is probably equipped with an airplane-style black box.  If you are in an accident, it can be pulled, and various data can be retrieved.

Known in vehicle safety circles as an event data recorder (EDR) or crash data recorder (CDR), these devices are now standard equipment by several manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, General Motors, Isuzu, and Suzuki.

Ford began installing EDR devices in their Crown Victoria models back in 2001, and they have been put into their cars every year since.

There are varieties of the event data recorder.  Some constantly record data on a loop while others are activated during specific events and then begin recording. 

EDR’s can record information including but not limited to the following:

• Force of Impact

• Air Bag Deployment

• Safety Belt Usage

• Steering Wheel Input

• Engine Speed

• Vehicle Speed

• Throttle Position

• Braking Status

In 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to try and standardize the data collected from event data recorders.  Effective in 2013, all event data recorders must record the following information:

• Change in forward crash speed
• Maximum change in forward crash speed
• Time from beginning of crash at which the maximum change in forward crash speed occurs
• Speed vehicle was traveling
• Percentage of engine throttle, percentage full (how far the accelerator pedal was pressed)
• Whether or not brake was applied
• Ignition cycle (number of power cycles applied to the EDR) at the time of the crash
• Ignition cycle (number of power cycles applied to the EDR) when the EDR data were downloaded
• Whether or not driver was using safety belt
• Whether or not frontal airbag warning lamp was on
• Driver frontal airbag deployment: time to deploy for a single stage airbag, or time to first stage deployment for a multistage airbag
• Right front passenger frontal airbag deployment: time to deploy for a single stage airbag, or time to first stage deployment for a multistage airbag
• Number of crash events
• Time between first two crash events, if applicable
• Whether or not EDR completed recording

Use of event data recorders has come under fire from privacy groups and the American Civil Liberties Union. 

NJLawman.com
Police and Law Enforcement News
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:50 p.m.

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