Black Box Technology
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: 22 acres of country
Black Box Technology
While you could build a new world with things that I don't know, I was amazed to read an article in yesterdays Wall Street Journal that indicated the auto manufacturers are, and have been for some time, installing information storage devices in some vehicles that emulate the black box flight recorder in aircraft.
In part the article says "Ford Motor Co. began installing onboard safety-system control computers capable of capturing certain precrash data in 1997." It goes on to say that Ford paid $1.5 million to the family of an Illinois woman killed in a 1998 Ranger when attorneys were able to show the airbag deployed in 118 milliseconds instead of the designed time of 59 milliseconds by downloading on board data.
GM is doing this stuff also and it bothers me that an insurance claim might someday be denied because I was speeding 5 mph over the limit. What about traffic cops that don't need Radar, just pull you over and download to his laptop.
What do you guys know about this stuff? How do you feel about it?
In part the article says "Ford Motor Co. began installing onboard safety-system control computers capable of capturing certain precrash data in 1997." It goes on to say that Ford paid $1.5 million to the family of an Illinois woman killed in a 1998 Ranger when attorneys were able to show the airbag deployed in 118 milliseconds instead of the designed time of 59 milliseconds by downloading on board data.
GM is doing this stuff also and it bothers me that an insurance claim might someday be denied because I was speeding 5 mph over the limit. What about traffic cops that don't need Radar, just pull you over and download to his laptop.
What do you guys know about this stuff? How do you feel about it?
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: Mountaintop USA
Black Box Technology
Keep in mind that the information contained within that box belongs to you. It may also be used someday to your benefit, as in the lawsuit you mention. How the information is used is to some extent, contingent upon statute, at your discretion. Unless, of course the box became evidence thru litigation, in which case I'm sure it would be discoverable. All in all the concept may be a good thing in that it may help in keeping some folks honest. I do have a problem with the fact that there may be a "bug", so to speak, in my vehicle recording information if I don't know it's there and what info it is recording. This becomes a privacy and right to know issue that the mfg's should make Joe Q. Public aware of. And you now have my .02.:-)
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