When a plane crashes, one of the most important clues in an accident investigation is the flight logs – the so-called black boxes. These record the pilots’ communication in the cockpit as well as data on various machine parameters – for example, engine throttle position, flaps extended, flight altitude and others.
In the event of road accidents, investigating police officers must rely mainly on their own investigation of the place where the incident took place, or on testimonies and on-board camera records. However, they do not have accurate data about what happened to the car that was hit before the accident.
This should change the regulation that determines that from July this year, all new cars registered in the European Union must be equipped with an Event Data Record (EDR) as standard.. This requirement applies to class M1 passenger cars, which can accommodate up to eight passengers in addition to the driver.
Saving a record in the event of an accident
In addition, commercial vehicles classified as N1, including pick-up trucks and vans, whose weight does not exceed 3,500 kilograms, will also be fitted with the car version of the black box. For example, the new generation Škoda Kodiaq or the electric car Hyundai Ioniq 6 are already equipped with a black box.
The reason for this step is that it is very difficult in some cases to clearly determine who is guilty of the accident. Analyzing the data stored in the EDR system can help investigators understand exactly what happened. The device always records some parameters and it will save the record permanently in the event of a crash in the last five seconds before the crash and 0.3 seconds after.
According to the documents provided by the European Commission, the EDR records and stores the following data: speed, braking, position and inclination of the car on the road and reactions of the integrated safety systems. In addition, the EDR analyzes whether the emergency call system eCall, which has been mandatory in the EU since April 2018, has been implemented.
It will help with the investigation
EDR must store information “with a high level of accuracy and guaranteed data stability”. In addition, there will also be data related to the make, model of the vehicle and the equipment installed. The EDR unit is usually built into the airbag control unit and it will not be possible to turn it off. It is activated automatically when the airbags are inflated and the seat belt tensioners are activated.
The information recorded by the EDR system will be collected anonymously so that it cannot be manipulated if it falls into the wrong hands. For this reason, for example, the last four digits of a vehicle identification number (VIN) are not stored. And no other type of information is recorded that could in any way reveal the identity of the owner.
The data will only be available to the relevant authorities such as assistance in disaster reconstruction. It will be possible to get information through a standard OBD interface, but if the port is destroyed in an accident, it must be accessible directly from the black box.
2024-04-21 05:16:09
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