Event Data Recorder

[2BIT]

I just saw a interesting clip on CNN News. It concerned event data recorders that manufactures such as GM place in the vehicle (GM has been installing them in all cars since 2000).
In the event of a crash it records things like speed, if seat belts were buckled, if the brake was applied, etc, etc like a black box in an airplane. They said usually, this device controls the air bag deployment so you can't rip it out.
In the event of a crash, the Police can obtain a court order to retreive the data from it and in the event of a fatal crash for example the data can be used in court against you to prove you were speeding etc and caused the accident. In one case the data was used to help convict a man for vehicular manslaughter and got him 30 years. The data proved he was going 100 miles an hour in a 30 mile per hour zone, he hit another car and killed 2 girls.
Anyone know if this privacy invading crap was installed by Hyundai in our cars???

[SuperGLS]

I heard something about this a while back (might have even been on the old forum). Seems like a good idea I think, but some people weren't very happy about it. But no, there is nothing like that in our cars.

[GTSpeedRacer]

If I was the father of those two girls I'd think it was a good idea.

It's not like it tracks where you are going and who you have in the car. I really don't think this is invasion of privacy. If you are worried about people knowing you occasionally speed, slow down. When you are going 100 mph anyone has the ability to see you doing it, black box, or no black box.

[2GTS]

If I remember correctly the box has limited memory and can only store so much, kind of like recording constantly but overwriting as it records so there is only 10min or less of recorded data. This is really nothing to fear unless you're a tard and cause an accident while doing something illegal. IMO don't do the crime if you can't do the time or just take the car to the track and keep the roads safe.

[2BIT]

I agree that if I was the Father of one of those kids I would think its a great idea. I dont do 100 mph either, but at the same time I dont like the idea of my CAR being able to testify against me if I ever did go to court.
I don't see the need for this. Police have Accident Reconstruction Specialists, as do Insurance Companies, and they arn't stupid, they can tell by looking at a car if it was doing 30 mph or 100 if it is in an accident.

[hyunelan2]

Simple... don't break the law. People that don't break the law are not paranoid about these things. It's not a invasion of privacy, it's a tool to spot who's breaking/broke the law, which is a very useful tool IMO.

[2BIT]

When a chip is imbedded in you to track where you go and what you do are you going to feel the same way?

[Leviathant]

Really, a majority of traffic rules are the way they are for a good reason. Signs that tell you to go 25 around a curve say so because if you go too fast you'll kill yourself or someone else. 30mph zones are usually somewhat residential, and there are people pulling out of driveways or walking down the street.

To me, a blackbox like that is almost like responsibility insurance. It doesn't record your entire history (unlike, say, Internet Explorer, which stores every URL you've ever surfed into a hidden file that you have to go through great strides to delete. Use firefox, it's great (http://www.mozilla.org)), but records the last few things that have happened before the car is in an accident. It could actually work in your defense, in case those experts aren't quite so expert as they may have you believe.

*shrug*

[Steve]

Who says GM and the government aren't already tracking vehicles, occupants, and listening to conversations through OnStar hahaha :P

[hyunelan2]

When a chip is imbedded in you to track where you go and what you do are you going to feel the same way?

That's a different story... it serves no usefullness in enforcing the law and proving fault in an incident... it would in no way benefit car manufacturers in seeing the data for the car's environment at the time of a crash.

A GPS-type tracking device would also need to challenge rights about free and unrestricted movement.

[2BIT]

I see this device as having no useful purpose except for the insurance companies. Now they can download the information and say well Mr X, when you had that blow out on I-10 on July 29th and rolled your car you were going 71 mph. The speed limit there was 65, sorry we arn't gonna pay, and by the way we are cancelling your insurance. Have a nice day. When GM started putting this in the cars they should have had to inform the person buying the car that it was there, not put it in and not say anything.

[hyunelan2]

I see this device as having no useful purpose except for the insurance companies. Now they can download the information and say well Mr X, when you had that blow out on I-10 on July 29th and rolled your car you were going 71 mph. The speed limit there was 65, sorry we arn't gonna pay, and by the way we are cancelling your insurance. Have a nice day. When GM started putting this in the cars they should have had to inform the person buying the car that it was there, not put it in and not say anything.

Shouldn't have been speeding.

In that extreme case, I'm sure a court would overturn the insurance company's opinion (and lack of scientific evidence) that an increase of 6 mph will cause tire failure (especially since tires are rated to X speed, depending on the tires you buy). And IF it were that you exceeded your tires' maximum speed rating, it would be wrong of you to expect the insurance company or tire manufacturer to pay for something you knowingly did wrong.

[GTSpeedRacer]

I agree this is somewhat 'big brotherish', however part of the reason a lot of us who have not had an accident in years still pay high insurance is because of the way some morons drive.

I'd be happy to put a chip in my car...I rarely drive over the speed limit. Sure I'd be pissed if I hit a pot hole at 66 in a 65 zone, blew out a tire and filed a claim to be denied. However, that hasn't happened to me ever, but every month I pay $80 to State Farm and I haven't had to call my agent since '89 to let them know I was in an accident.

[hyunelan2]

Exactly... the reason we (non-claim filing drivers) pay such high rates is for all the other idiots we have to pay for. It they screw up and insurance doesn't cover it, my premium doesn't go up for their dumb mistake.

[2BIT]

Right, like no one here ever goes 5 mph over.....

[Cyberz XD]

Were are most of you Guys from, Because here in Texas they give you a ticket for and little thing. An i'm think about getting a new Radar for my car.

[2BIT]

This was in todays paper. Sucks if you ask me.

http://www.nitrousworld.com/pictures/crash data recorder.jpg

http://www.nitrousworld.com/pictures/crash data recorder 2.jpg