If only our parents knew what we were actually doing when we took the car to a “friends house” for the night. Actually it may have been better if they didn’t, but that doesn’t mean that now that we’ve become parents we shouldn’t have a better system of knowing just what those kids are doing with the car.
Our latest weapon comes in the form of a little black box. EDRs, or event data recorders have been modified for use in our vehicles.
Few drivers even realize that their actions on the road are being recorded and re-recorded every 20 seconds. Nearly a third of all vehicles on the road today have event data recording devices (EDRs). About 64%of 2006 models have them, including most Ford and GM cars.
Linked to the airbag system, the device records the severity of a crash by measuring deceleration. It captures vehicle speed and engine RPMs, seat belt status, and braking. The information can be downloaded to a computer. EDR results have been used in some courts to convict a person who caused death or injury. And it has been used to free a person who witnesses said was going 90 mph when he was only travelling 60mph. The National Highway Safety Administration ruled that beginning in 2011, electronic data recording has to be disclosed to car buyers, along with information that their driving data can be downloaded only with their permission.
According to Time, privacy advocates worry that EDRs combined with global positioning systems, which will soon be common in cars, could lead to real-time surveillance. They say police might issue tickets for speeding when they never saw the infractions.
Progressive Insurance has offered 3.6 million customers the possibility of a $100 annual rebate if they install black boxes that gather six months of data and share that information. They say that safe driver should pay less.
Other Insurance companies are currently investigating the uses of EDRs in insured autos and the possibility of discounts to clients who actually earn them by exhibiting safe driving habits.
Exciting or Intimidating ? For those of us with upcoming youthful drivers, the possibilities of monitoring their speed, location, etc could lead to fewer grey hairs and safer children. The knowledge that someone is watching should encourage us all to practice safer driving habits. Pennsylvania auto insurance may be affected in the future.
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