'Black box' recorder.

[G-CPTN]

I read recently that 'vehicles' in the USA are to be equipped with 'black box recorders' (from a certain manufacturing date).

The context was a car driver who had driven on a closed circuit - wondering how he would explain the excessive speeds if he was stopped and checked.

I believe that most UK trucks have electronic digital recorders fitted now - do they retain the record indefinitely or do you have to download the data (to a memory card?) after a certain length of time?

Has anyone (US members) anything to add to my opening comment (ie is it true and for what classes of vehicles)?

There was a scheme in the UK where drivers could install a black box in return for lower insurance premiums (sometimes with limited hours when you could drive). If the technology exists, then maybe such devices might become standard for all vehicles in the UK?

This is from 1999:- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...s-1111462.html

and this from 2008:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...st-driver.html

and 2009:- http://tech.uk.msn.com/features/arti...ntid=149574431

2010:- http://www.uswitch.com/news/insuranc...ders-19874886/

Oh - I've found this:-

NHTSA set a time table for all vehicle manufacturers to be in compliance with the new EDR standards. The compliance date was originally set for all vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2010. NHTSA has since updated its ruling (49 CFR Part 563 Update) to give vehicle manufacturers until September 1, 2012 to be in compliance with the original ruling.

From:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_d...ecorder_Ruling

[G-CPTN]

The above references seem to apply to crash data recorders rather than continuous recording devices (which could be used to record excessive speeds).

[G-CPTN]

From 'Big Rig Steve':-

I have heard about that. I do not see it happening as soon as they say. Right now however, my truck does have electronic logs, and they can tell (and I can see it on the computer as well) where I am (down to 120 feet), how fast I am going, my RPMs, if I have a trailer attached, what temp the trailer is set at and its current temp reading, whether or not the truck is running, etc.

[Western SMT]

The “Black Box” name covers a lot including crash data taken from air bag systems.
It seems - if an accident is severe, sensors in the airbag system will automatically store data, this will happen independently of other sensors that decide whether the air bag is deployed or not.

http://www.expertlaw.com/library/acc...ck_boxes2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_data_recorder

[Fazer9553]

I think many trucks now have GPS tracking. A Singaporean driver I was speaking to says he gets a phone call "from the office" when he is speeding.

[coastie]

Big Brother IS watching you!