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An event data recorder (EDR) is a device installed in automotive vehicles that records certain types of information related to a car crash or other road event. Also known as a “black box”, EDRs are often used in law enforcement and insurance investigations to determine the cause of an accident.
The most basic form of an EDR stores data from an automobile’s airbag control module, such as the speed and pressure of vehicle impact and airbag deployment timing. More advanced versions also store wheel speed, throttle position, engine RPMs, brake status and other data about the events leading up to and during a crash.
As technology advances some EDRs are now being equipped with GPS technology allowing them to provide detailed information such as exact route taken prior to the incident. T
his can be used by police or automobiles companies for analysis of traffic accidents or product investigation for recall information regarding specific defects in makes/models/years/vehicles .
Most EDRs are located near the dashboard beneath the steering wheel inside a vehicle’s main computer unit.
In order for anyone other than law enforcement personnel (with permission) access this data requires special hardware tools if not authorized by the manufacturer . These tools require knowledge about how different makes/models store their data and how to read it in order to interpret the cause of a crash and other information from the black box.
In addition to safeguarding driver safety, EDRs can also be used by insurers and accident investigators in assessing liability for an auto-related incident. Insurance companies use this data to help determine who is at fault when one or more drivers are involved in a collision, as well as who should be held responsible for extensive repair costs.
The Global automotive event data recorder market accounted for $XX Billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2024 to 2030.
By offering trustworthy data about what happens to a driver, occupants, and a vehicle during pre-crash, crash, and post-crash scenarios, EDRs have evolved into valuable tools in the fight to develop safer automobiles and lower the number of injuries caused by traffic accidents.
Reconstruction, analysis, and crash investigation techniques are all improved with the use of this data.A vehicle’s crash signature, driver inputs, the usage and deployment status of restraints, and post-crash information like the activation of an automatic collision notification (ACN) system are just a few examples of the data that EDRs can record.
They do not mean by this term any kind of device that records sound or images, or logs information, such as truck drivers’ hours of service. Devices known as “event recorders” are used to capture data about a “event.”
Electronic data records (EDRs) typically include five one-second snapshots of the throttle position, brake light switch status, engine revolutions per minute (rpm), and vehicle travel speed prior to the occurrence of a recorded event.
The longitudinal delta-V is recorded in 10 ms increments over a 300 ms time frame. All new passenger and light-duty vehicles in the US are required to have EDRs, and uniform data recording and retrieval is required by FMVSS 405 as well.
Event Data Recorders fall under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 405 standards. Every class of motor vehicle has potential uses for EDR technology in terms of safety.