Feds Confirm Mandatory Black Boxes By 2013 - But Who Can Use The Data?

The U.S. Transportation Department said today it will propose making vehicle "black boxes" mandatory in all vehicles by the end of the year.

The department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has long considered whether to make black boxes, officially called event data recorders, or EDRs, mandatory. They collect data about the seconds leading up to a crash and can help investigators determine the cause.

LexSucks - 5/26/2011 4:37:03 PM

+3 Boost

Big Brother is watching.

speed123 - 5/26/2011 8:13:06 PM

-1 Boost

Why is this a big deal. The vast majority of cars made in the last 15+ years already have black boxes!

Agent009 - 5/27/2011 8:18:10 AM

+1 Boost

Because the old boxes record whatever the automaker wants to and is only accessible by the automaker. The new data will be standardized and could be freely available to anyone.

So an insurance company could demand access to the data to attempt and prove you speed all of the time and raise your rates. Or attempt to deny a claim based on the data.

dbtimes1 - 5/26/2011 9:34:46 PM

+2 Boost

It's a big deal because the Federal Government is mandating it!

MorePower - 5/27/2011 12:04:14 AM

0 Boost

The issue is not mandating black boxes in cars. The issue is whom will have access to the information and what will be the process for these third parties to gain access to this information. It's not the government I'm worried about, it's the insurance companies and law enforcement that concern me.