Mandatory Car Black Boxes Are Coming. Here's How It Affects You

[IDemo]

Automotive Black Boxes, Minus the Gray Area

By Keith Barry
May 23, 2011

Next month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to declare that all vehicles must contain an event data recorder, known more commonly as a “black box.” The device, similar to those found in aircraft, records vehicle inputs and, in the event of a crash, provides a snapshot of the final moments before impact.

That snapshot could be viewed by law enforcement, insurance companies and automakers. The device cannot be turned off, and you’ll probably know little more about it than the legal disclosure you’ll find in the owner’s manual.

The pending mandate looks to some like a gross overreach of government authority, or perhaps an effort by Uncle Sam, the insurance industry and even the automakers to keep tabs on what drivers are doing. But if you’re driving a car with airbags, chances are there’s already one of these devices under your hood.

How much it affects you depends upon where you live and what data points it records. How much it will affect you in the future may depend on a new set of standards that spell out exactly what data is collected and who can access it.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/05/automotive-black-boxes/

[Demeter]

1. Since Nobody Will Be Able To Afford to Drive

it shouldn't make any difference in the world, except for the Obscenely Wealthy, who will can the whole stupid idea.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

2. Will these be equipped with GPS help track those who don't carry cellphones?

[hootinholler]

17. Yeah, that's the OnStar(tm) program.

Includes cockpit voice recorder too. Subscription required for occupant use.

They can probably arrange to shut the engine off and lock you a thief in the vehicle.

-Hoot

[bluerum]

3. We already have on board computers that regulate fuel and air flow. They also

store emissions data and other driving condition and systems data.

[madokie]

4. According to the dealer I bought my 98 f150 at

it has a so called black box that phones back to the manufacturer once a month how I use the truck, how I drive it things of that nature. Its not on all ford f150s just a few and I was informed of this when I purchased this truck new. None of the information is used to track me or for warranty purposes, only to give the manufacturer a better picture of how their product is used in the real world so they can better build a ford truck.

[Throd]

5. I don't think it will interface with my '59 Oldsmobile.

[ohbill]

6. This is hardly new.

“Next month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to declare that all vehicles must contain an event data recorder, known more commonly as a “black box.” The device, similar to those found in aircraft, records vehicle inputs and, in the event of a crash, provides a snapshot of the final moments before impact.”

Almost every automobile made before 1999, and possibly earlier, already has a “black box” in it. It records what happens a few seconds before a crash occurs so that courts, insurance companies, and the manufacturer itself can see exactly what happened before and during the crash. The data only goes back 5 seconds, so unless Big Brother shoved a cell phone in that box I’d say your privacy is safe.

With the exception of Toyota, you can pull the data off of the black box using a regular PC and some cables from Radio Shack.

[Sky Llama]

12. We'll be told if...

We have nothing to hide we'll be fine...But I don't believe that to be so.

Who knows what this could be used for in the long run.

[Hannah Bell]

22. every car made *before* 1999?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I thought they'd already been there for years.

[catabryna]

8. I'd prefer my privacy over car ownership...

Fortunately, I live in an area where that is possible!

[Sky Llama]

11. And I don't.

Consider yourself lucky should this happen and you don't need to own a car.

[catabryna]

13. I specifically moved here after my car was stolen

by the California Highway Patrol and a shady wrecking yard in Valley Springs, California. I'm not lucky... just smart! :hi:

[Hannah Bell]

23. portland? huh?

[Historic NY]

9. Cars now have information collections that give a whole host of data....

from speed to even telling if your lights were on. This isn't new and the data is and has been available to the authorities. Any car that operates with a computer collects & stores data.

[Sky Llama]

10. Will you have to put on in old cars?

If not I may have to get my 73 Beetle going and drive it if this happens.

[Coyote_Bandit]

14. That might be a good excuse

to buy an old car and fix it up for everyday drving.

Wonder if I can find an old gremlin?


:evilgrin:

[onethatcares]

31. no, gremlins and pacers have disappeared from the face of the earth

I've been alookin, and haven't been aseein any.

[high density]

15. State cops here don't agree with black box

http://www.motorists.org/black-boxes/failure

The "black box" recorded that the SUV was traveling at 71 mph about five seconds before its airbags deployed. Trask told investigators that his speedometer showed 55 mph before he began passing the car.

A State Police accident reconstruction also differed from the data recorder's information, estimating the SUV's speed at somewhere between 55 and 65 mph. All estimates still place the Suburban's speed over that stretch of interstate's speed limit, which had been reduced to 45 mph because of wintry conditions.
...
The onboard recorder indicated the governor was not buckled in, but a spokesperson for the governor disputes the data and maintains that Baldacci was definitely wearing his seat belt when his SUV crashed. Trask, the driver of the vehicle, supports Baldacci's claims and told the press that he remembers unbuckling the injured governor's belt.

[madrchsod]

16. i`ll never be able to afford a new car so i do`t really care...

for everyone else--welcome to the brave new world

[MadHound]

18. Nice to know my '87 Toyota,

'98 Honda and '98 Nissan will run forever.

They are once again beating the safety drum in order to ram this through, but it has nothing to do with safety, but rather insurance liability and voiding warranty, with the side benefit of citizen surveillance. Sorry, I don't think I'll be participating.

[mn9driver]

19. GM has put them in most of their models since the early '90's

It is usually located under the driver or passenger seat. Just sayin'.

[GoneOffShore]

20. And after the black box, the TSA will want to make sure you're not carrying liquids.

[KillCapitalism]

21. One more reason to get my old Chevy pickup restored.

I'm sure as hell a 1964 model vehicle wouldn't be equipped with such crap, or would it?

[Hannah Bell]

24. so if you have an old car you have to pay to have a box installed? or you have to buy a new car?

wtf?

[BuelahWitch]

28. Yeah, that's what I want to know

I'm still driving my '93 Ford Tempo...

[Skip Intro]

25. I want my 72 Chevy SS back

My Granddad gave it to me when I was 16. Drove it to high school. This was some time ago (but not that long ago). Still, can't remember if it was a Chevelle or Malibu, but the Chevelles seem to all have stripes on the hood, and this Malibu SS looks verrry similar to what I had, except mine was tan, and a hard-top.

Had no idea what I had when I had it...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. One of the reasons I like motorcycles

Black boxes are not really possible on them.

Something many forget is that is also the way to charge for miles driven, something targeted at hybrid and electric vehicles.

[IDemo]

27. The core componentry already exists on modern bikes

Any fuel injected machine (virtually every late model bike) has on onboard computer. As well, many machines also have digital displays for speed and odometer. Simply adding enough flash memory and the firmware to write 5 seconds or so of data following a sudden deceleration would be trivial.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

29. Less than half of the current motorcycles have what you describe

It is mostly for the higher end bikes. Then of course there is the Ural.

[IDemo]

35. To my knowledge, all or most all road bikes are now using fuel injection

For better emissions control, faster starting, and better performance. If any major manufacturer still has a carbureted model in production, I'm not aware of it. Then again, I'm not devouring cycle magazines or hanging out in showrooms the way I did decades ago. As far as instrumentation, there are indeed quite a number of bikes with the old standard dial gauges.

The point is, "black box" doesn't necessarily mean a large plastic box full of expensive computing hardware. Just to provide a system with basic info such as the last 5 contiguous segment of speed and braking data wouldn't be a particularly challenging task, even if it involved an A/D conversion from an old fashioned analog gauge. The actual digital hardware needed would fit in a very small space.

edit - meant as reply to #29

[REP]

30. I think every car I've ever owned had one ('86, '98 and '02 Pontiacs; '08 Nissan)

The '86 6000LE was one of the first GMs to have them. It was apparently useless; did no good when it was stolen (I got it back a month later when my brother found it!). Since I'm recently the victim of a jackass who can't see red (stop lights or my car), I like that there's extra evidence of her assholery, but that's the rage speaking.

[intaglio]

32. Too late

Virtually all cars with an electronic engine management system carry about 10 seconds worth of data.

[AsahinaKimi]

33. I am just wondering if this

might also be used as a tracking device.

[rsmith6621]

34. And Where Does President Obama Stand On This????

.....for it or will he fight for our privacy????