According to CNN, the NTSB is recommending black boxes be put in passenger cars. It's an interesting idea that would probably help determine the causes of many accidents. But who would voluntarily put a black box in their car? Or buy a car with one installed? If you say, "me! me! me!" than you'd better know what that data is going to be used for. (For example, can a cop pull you over for a broken light and check your data collection device to see if you've been speeding?) Well, Mr. Me Me Me, you don't have to worry about buying a car with a data collection device, your GM has one. In fact, GM has been putting black boxes in cars for years -- a fact many people don't even know. An article (no longer online) from USA Today (11/23/99) detailed the matter:
The module, part of the air bag sensing system, stores information in the few seconds before a car sensor identifies a crash and fires the air bags. The data includes the speed of the car, whether the driver was wearing a seat belt, when an air bag deployed and whether the driver used the brakes.
GM has quietly installed different versions of the sensing system on some cars throughout the 1990s, but the modules have become more sophisticated over time. Their existence became public in a paper written by GM and government engineers and presented at a conference last month.
Our take on the matter? Black boxes are a good idea. Driving is a privilege, not a right. But there has to be rules that we all know, however, before agreeing* to have these in our cars.
* 1. We can't agree to something if we don't know it's there. Any manufacturer that installs devices in a vehicle which collects data on how we use that vehicle should be totally upfront about the devices being installed. (i.e. has purchaser sign a waiver saying a data collection device is installed).
2. Usage: We should all know what data is being collected. Under what circumstances can the data be retrieved? What could the data be used for?
3. Are there penalties for disabling it? Since it's my car and I can take the stereo out (or shove a peanut butter & jelly sandwich into its CD slot) or turn off the passenger air bag or let gunk get into my windshield washer nozzle, am I obligated to make sure my data collection device is operating at all times? Is there a fine for failure to maintain it? What about removing it? Can I even remove it? It's my car!
These articles also discuss the use of a black box in cars:
'Black box' for cars a surprise
The Washington Times
INDEPTH: BLACK BOX: Event data recorder or 'black box'
CBC News
driving is a privilege not a right? bullshit! ever heard of the right to free travel? privacy is a right whether its in y0ur car or elsewhere.
Posted by: wiseone | Tuesday, April 01, 2008 at 11:10 AM
driving is a privilege not a right? bullshit! ever heard of the right to free travel? privacy is a right whether its in y0ur car or elsewhere.
Posted by: wiseone | Tuesday, April 01, 2008 at 11:08 AM
driving is a privilege not a right? bullshit! ever heard of the right to free travel? privacy is a right whether its in y0ur car or elsewhere.
Posted by: wiseone | Tuesday, April 01, 2008 at 11:07 AM
If the battery of a vehicle is destroyed in an accident or if the fire department cuts the battery cables for safety at an accident scene, will teh black box lose it's memory??
Posted by: Steve | Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 02:36 PM
yeah well does GM tell people the cars already have blackboxes? do they know that?
Posted by: anonymous | Monday, January 29, 2007 at 09:55 AM