NTSB Wants Black Boxes in Passenger Vehicles

MoPar Man · 2004-11-12T01:52:25+00:00

This is either a step towards (or practically is) self incrimination,combined with illegal search and seizure.There is no reason for data recorders in cars other than to use asevidence against a driver in an accident. Are these black boxes evenaccurate during a collision - where G forces and wheel slippageprovide no absolute indication of what a car may really be doingduring an emergency situation? Let alone equipped for the highsampling rates needed.Shouldn't these data recording systems be certified in order to evenbe considered as sources of evidenciary data?This is tantamount to being forced to drive with a forward-facingcamera mounted in the back seat, recording everything you do.The driver should have the ability to turn the data recording mode onor off. This works both ways. Anyone who turns the data recordingoff will not therefor have any data that could be used against him -but by the same token he won't have any data that could be used todefend him either. Every driver should have the right to that choice.An example of the mis-use of information is the fact that (apparently)some (many? most?) US states require a fingerprint as part of gettinga drivers license. This seems to have lead (a few months ago) to aSeattle laywer being arrested for having something to do with thetrain bombings in Spain. For reasons that I've never heard explained,they claimed that fingerprints found on a shopping bag in one of thetrains matched his. How they had his fingerprints was never explained- presumably because they are required when getting a drivers license?------------------------------ Experts Shun Black Boxes Friday, September 10, 2004By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos ?NTSB Wants Black Boxes in Passenger Vehicles From Black Boxes in Cars Turns Up in Courts ? Some safety and privacy experts are reacting withapprehension, others with all out condemnation over a recent ruling bythe National Transportation Safety Board to require electronic datarecorders or "black...