New from July 2024: mandatory black box
The black box - which has been standard equipment on aircraft for years, will also make its way into the automotive world on 1 July 2024. From this date, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, the model versions of which are completely new to the market, must carry an Event Data Recorder (EDR). What remains different from a black box in an aircraft, however, is that the data of the entire route is not recorded. If an accident occurs, the box automatically records the last five seconds before the event. Data such as speed, revolutions per minute, steering angle and information on whether the airbag has deployed are logged. Video recordings are not possible.
It is important to mention in this context that not everyone is allowed to read the data from the EDR. Courts or public prosecutors can only request the evaluation of the data via an expert opinion to preserve evidence. However, this does not replace a classic accident report.
By the way, EDRs are already in use. Since mid-2022 it has been mandatory for type approvals (that is approvals of a completely new model on the market) to install such a system. This is usually installed in the airbag control unit.
Further information:
Autozeitung:https://www.autozeitung.de/blackbox-im-auto-131388.html?utm_source=mailingwork&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynews
Motorline.cc:https://www.motorline.cc/autowelt/news/2023/Diverses/Blackbox-f%C3%BCrs-Auto-ab-2024-Pflicht-Alles-zu-Funktion-Nutzen-und-Datenschutz-268151.html