Automotive "Black Boxes"- Corzine accident

[Neilk]

The SUV carrying Gov. Jon S. Corzine was traveling about 91 mph moments before it crashed,

Hmm, 91 mph WITHOUT a seatbelt... apparently he wasn't thinking straight. However, with such an exact number, it's pretty apparent that the police got the info from the data recorder that's in most American cars. PWD72s has mentioned them numerous times. I guess that's one more reason not to get an American car.

Rest of the article here.

[Rick V]

Almost all cars with an airbag have those recorders. When the bag is deployed the info is stored. Domestics arn't alone in this system. I have had to pull this info from a few cars, Toyota,Mazda,and VW.
I might also add it was because of a court order requested by the insurance company. Anything to get out of paying a claim.

[fingpilot]

The insurance companies susidized the data recorders. Your (lowered) rates (had you read the fine print in your policy) are directly linked to the fact that they own the data stored there (since they know which cars carry the recorders).

The 'official' line is that there is 30 seconds stored there. The capability is that the last six or seven minutes are there.

[MRM]

Don't blame insurance companies. The biggest users of the data are plaintiffs' lawyers. I figure it cuts both ways and evens out. I'm all for the data because it tells the truth and eliminates a lot of self-serving testimony designed to shift blame. In the Corzine case it might save the rear of the "other driver" who originally was being blamed for the accident.

[pwd72s]

Hell, they can exonerate or convict, that's true. But really, why isn't the car buying public being told that the black boxes are there??? I see it as an informed consent issue... Evidently, BMW's have the black box.

[MRM]

I agree. The issue is informed consent. As a defense lawyer I love them because they short circuit litigation over liability issues when someone is lying. I don't care which way it turns out, I just need to know. If they show my client was at fault, I tell the insurer to pay up; that's what insurance is for. If it shows the other guy is at fault I tell the plaintiff to take a hike.

As a whole it is good for the system because it brings an impartial truth to the table. The issue is informed consent and whether the uninformed public is getting something they didn't ask for when they bought their car. I'm OK with it, but I know what I'm getting into. I think they should be in cars but I agree that they should be public so everyone knows they're there.

[david914]

This data is available from any car with OBDII. You might be surprised how much info is in there...

[Oh Haha]

One of my drivers was involved in an accident last week in which the other driver died. Our driver was not at fault as the other guy ignored a red light. Thier insurance company was supposed to be retrieving the data today from the GMC Jimmy. I don't really understand why, though.
All of the witnesses and even the MSP troopers told me that he ran the light and there was nothing my guy could have done.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Check this site - you can use it for your own datalogging purposes. Kinda' neat actually (but scary in the wrong hands).

http://obddiagnostics.com/order.html

[pwd72s]

George Orwell was an optimist. There is absolutely no logical reason to buy one of today's higher performance cars...none.
Not with the data recorder on board. You might as well have a cop, ticket book in hand, riding with you.

[Flatbutt1]

the data box was able to help prove my accident was not my fault and all$350,000 of my medical costs were covered.

[pwd72s]

a double edged sword...I still argue for informed consent. People's right to know what they are buying. As far as I know, the complete list of black box cars is only available to insurance companies, cops, etc...not out there for the general public to read.

[AFJuvat]

Porsche has them too - With a PST I can even tell you how may times you bounced the rev limiter.