Cars with Black Boxes?
By ShepherdSpy
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
Omagh, Northern Ireland
December 12, 2012 5:07am CST
Have you ever considered driving a car that has a "black box" fitted to report your driving in the event of a crash?
I am aware there are insurance companies here in the UK that are offering such.
They are particularly aiming them at new drivers-the idea being,if they are driving carefully,and perhaps observing a late night curfew agreed with the company,their insurance will be reduced.
However,with the amount of electronics in current cars,you may not realize you are not being given a choice in the Matter..
I heard an item on radio recently,stating many manufacturers would have some form of onboard telemetry recording in the moments before an airbag deploys..and that this has been "available" in cars since the '90's..but it's only quite recently that this "feature" has been noted in your car handbooks! Ever seen this in your handbook? Have you ever checked?
What do you think-safety feature,or Big Brother?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@celticeagle (168112)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Dec 12
I have never had a car manufractured after the 90's. My newest new car was a 1986. I like this feature although I hate the thought of it getting into the hands of Big Brother. It has just been recently that I have heard of them being in cars. I knew airplanes had them but never really thought of them being in cars.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
13 Dec 12
How do you feel about an insurance company installing one as a means of monitoring your driving in exchange for lower premiums?
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
19 Dec 12
How about in the case if You were in Europe where insurance companies now have new anti-discriminatory legislation saying they don't have to offer Women reduced cost premiums as being lower risk? Women here are now being hit at the same level as Men.. They COULD have gone with rounding everybody's policies to meet in the middle,but No..They're gonna go with the profit,and round the Women's policies upwards..
@celticeagle (168112)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Dec 12
I woudn't do it. Insurance has too much control as it is.
@agent807 (751)
• United States
12 Dec 12
From my understanding, this information was already recorded using the engine computer that is already in a car. They already gather that kind of information to determine when to shift the transmission, distribute braking power, etc. There wasn't really a need for a specific device for it as the ECU is already gathering that information to keep the vehicle moving. As for it being Big Brother, I don't think that is the case, unless someone wants the ability to randomly pull that information out of anyone's car at anytime. That would be crossing the line. In my opinion, I think the most that law enforcement agencies should use it for is crash investigations, where the car itself is a witness, and nothing more. There is no reason anyone would need that information other than to solve a case, as they do with the flight data recorder.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
30 Mar 13
Here's one for the geek motorists out there..Modern cars that would have the onboard diagnostic systems that will tell you to pull over in the event of a problem,or to contact your dealer,will have a computer diagnostic port somewhere,maybe near the fusebox..those with smartphones can download an app and buy a bluetooth dongle to plug into the port so you can see what's going on under the hood on your phone screen! (preferably not while driving,though!)
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
13 Dec 12
That's where the insurance companies would be putting their interests,over that line..
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
7 Jan 13
There's a motion to have such technology in all new cars built from 2014 in the US..and debate is already going as to whether the systems would be passive (data can be read after a collision) or active (transmitting stats to authorities!)
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
12 Dec 12
Hmm, a black box. That would be a bit expensive. Well, although I haven't actually checked everything, I've always had this feeling that car manuals don't include everything about the car's features, particularly monitoring gadgets that were installed. If this is really the case, then buyers should be told about them, safety feature or not. This is a responsibility of the manufacturer as well as the seller of the vehicle, and our right as the consumer. Yeah, it smells Big Brother through and through.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
12 Dec 12
I don't believe they are extra cost options,they're just being buried in with the other electronics devices..I'm not familiar with how the Insurance company models work out,but I'm fairly sure nobody wanting to save money on insurance would be paying an up front fee to have the thing installed..
