Crash data recorders in Fords

At a recent Society of Automotive Engineers conference in Washington, Ford announced the 2004 Explorer and F150 have crash data recorders on board. The recorder is part of the electronic throttle control and not part of the air bag control module as on other Ford models.

formatting link
From the web site with the complete vehicle listing:

"The following Ford vehicles have the capability to store a data record within the Electronic Throttle Control. The data record is "locked" when the air bags deploy. The record can include vehicle speed, accelerator pedal %, brake pedal %, brake switch status, throttle position %, engine speed (RPM), transmission status, speed control status and deployment of safety devices.

The amount of time recorded varies between system models but the minimum time recorded is 20 seconds before air bag deployment and 5 seconds after deployment.

This data can only be retrieved by Ford engineers, not with the current Vetronix equipment or by Ford dealer service technicians."

Reply to
fromalongdistance
Loading thread data ...

In light of some consumer reactions to "assumed" vehicle dynamics concerns, I can see this being a wise move (called CYA).

The vast majority of consumers fail to grasp the concept that tall things fall over and tall skinny things fall over quicker. Many feel that these recorders are an infringement on privacy.... my take is that when something bad happens that involves total strangers, privacy is no longer an issue.

Just one opinion amongst millions....

service technicians."

Reply to
Jim Warman

Jim,

I think you missed your calling. You could've easily been a stand-in for Johnny Carson. I get a kick out of your responses. And you must be perty sharp too, because I happen to agree with most of what you say.

Tom

Reply to
Tom

Jim is the best, no doubt! :)

Reply to
JonnyCab®

The way I see it is those people that have a hard time understanding tall things tip over easily, and tall skinny things tip over easier have an equally hard time understanding how more and more of what we buy is increasingly becoming less of what we own. Corportations are are earning more rights and gaining more control over our lives and using the government and its agencies to do so. Despite having paid in full for the vehicles we are supposed to own niether to our knowledge or consent are we told that our driving data is being recorded for the benefit of insurance companies. Shouldn't something that we buy be 100% ours and under 100% of our control.

You could say the same thing for firearms but a guy like you would never say that would ya?

Reply to
ConsumerJoe

The problem is not that people don't understand the simple laws of physics.. but someone else is always to blame!

There are times when the computer inside your car is going to be a good thing. I was hit by a minivan while walking across the street. I had a cross sign, but the lady in the minivan didn't see me I guess. I was hit and thrown half way across the road. To me, the information inside her car would be rather convieniant as it would show if she was breaking or not. Her position was that the breaks didn't work properly.

Those computers don't benifit anyone other than the truth. The only risk that you take is that if the automotive industry extracts data that they don't like they could loose or change it to make it so that it does.

Reply to
MJM

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.