Federal safety regulators are now looking into the possibility of requiring "black box systems" for all vehicles. So far, having event data recorders or EDRs, which are similar to black boxes in aircraft, has been voluntary for auto makers. According to a recent New York Times news article, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) administrator, David Strickland, said that his agency is considering making these black boxes mandatory in all vehicles in light of the Toyota sudden acceleration vehicle defect recall.

It is well-known that the Japanese auto maker has recalled nearly 10 million vehicles globally for defective gas pedals and faulty floor mats that can cause sudden or unintended acceleration in vehicles. Many vehicles have also been recently recalled for brake defects. Strickland mentioned the agency's consideration at a subcommittee hearing by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Black Boxes Can Provide Significant Information

What are EDRs? Basically, the devices are linked to a vehicle's airbags. They record information such as the speed of the car, whether the driver was applying the brakes and whether the vehicle accelerated before a car accident. Like the black boxes on airplanes, these devices record events from five to 30 seconds before a crash and soon afterward. NHTSA in 2006 encouraged, but did not mandate auto makers to install the systems. There is also no existing standard for the way data would be recorded in black boxes.

However, with Toyota, there has been an issue with the black boxes in their vehicles because the auto maker, unlike others, does not offer ready access to the data in the black boxes after a crash. Toyota's system requires a special analytic device and also help from a Toyota representative to download the data.

Setting a Strong and Consistent Standard

I welcome the idea of black boxes in all vehicles. These devices should tell us precisely what was going on moments before, during and after a car collision. Be it a vehicle defect or driver error, we can avoid a great deal of speculation with a black box that can be easily and accurately decoded and read. In addition to requiring them, the government should also require all auto makers to make the information easily downloadable by the public. With Toyota, there was one laptop in the United States with the software needed to download data from the black boxes. That should not be acceptable. The safety agency should set a consistent standard.

None of the parties mentioned in this article are represented by us at the time this article was posted. The source of our information is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm for a consultation. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. The BISNAR | CHASE personal injury law firm will provide free, confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons and their family members if you mention your source was the “Personal Injury Law Journal." They can be reached at 866-456-5235 during California business hours.

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