Privacy advocates wary of push to mandate auto 'black boxes'
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking a law that would require automakers to install "black boxes" in every new car and light truck sold starting September 2014. But unbeknownst to their owners, many vehicles already carry event data recorders, or EDRs. The NHTSA estimates that about 96 percent of all 2013 vehicles have the devices. The recorders, typically triggered by a crash or air bag deployment, can produce data generated shortly before and during a crash, including vehicle speed, whether the brake was used and whether the driver's seat belt was buckled. The device records data from a variety of vehicle sensors and typically is attached to the floor.