This past Friday, the US Government proposed a new vehicle safety standard to record what happens during the moments of a car accident. Specifically, the government is proposing to install all new vehicles with event data recorders, often called “black boxes.”
When a car accident occurs, or when the airbag deploys, the device would be triggered to turn on and record information including:
- Speed of travel
- Whether the brake was applied
- Whether the seat belt was buckled
- Whether the airbag worked properly
Some people have raised concerns about the invasiveness of the devices. The government has said the EDR would not run continuously, and it also does not record conversations or store any personal identification information about the driver or other people in the car.
It remains to be seen whether these devices will become standard safety equipment. Apparently, almost all 2013 cars already come equipped with EDR capability, but would require additional parts and software before the devices would be operable.
To find out whether it would be in your best interest to file an injury claim following a car accident that was not your fault, please contact the Law Offices of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D., to schedule a free consultation in Orlando.