Airbag Event Data Recorder

The event data recorder logs vehicle data seconds before and seconds after a possible event. An event is usually detected by excessive deceleration of the vehicle. This does not necessarily have to be an accident. An event could also be harsh deceleration or harsh braking. Ninety-five percent of new vehicles have an onboard Event Data Recorder (EDR) that captures and stores vehicle data for several seconds before, during and after any crash where an airbag is triggered or there is an excessive rate of vehicle deceleration. Compared to their airplane counterparts, EDRs have limited capabilities.

1. Airbag Event Data Recorder Supported Vehicles
2. Toyota Event Data Recorder

If you bought your car within the last few years, then it almost certainly does have a so-called black box. These devices are technically called event data recorders (EDRs), and they can keep track of everything from how fast you were traveling prior to an accident event to whether or not you were wearing your seatbelt at the time. Free download youtube downloader. And according to the NHTSA, 96 percent of the model year, 2012 vehicles produced for sale in the United States contained some form of EDR.

Since event data recorders are highly integrated into the electronic control systems of the cars they monitor, and many are even built right into airbag control units, simply unplugging or turning them off isn’t really an option.

So, where do you go from there?

How to Identify Whether Your Car Has a Black Box

If your car or truck was built within the last few years, then you can almost bank on it having some form of EDR. Even going back ten years, roughly half of all new vehicles sold in the United States had these black boxes installed. So how, exactly, do you tell if your car or truck has one?

The easiest way to find out whether your car has a black box is to scour the owner’s manual. Although the NHTSA refused to order manufacturers or dealers to disclose the presence of EDRs when the agency first ruled on the matter in 2006, it did issue a regulation that requires some form of disclosure in the owner’s manual. If there is absolutely no mention of an EDR in your owner’s manual, and your car was built after the 2006 ruling, then you may not have a black box in your car.

Of course, it’s important to remember that the 2006 ruling gave automakers six years to comply. That means cars and trucks built between 2006 and 2012 could feasibly have EDRs without any form of disclosure. And one year after the ruling became enforceable, 96 percent of all new vehicles in the US came with EDRs installed anyway.

Turning off or Removing Event Data Recorders

Turning off, disabling, or removing an EDR is typically difficult or impossible. The difficulty stems from the fact that these aren’t standardized systems, which means that the location and appearance of an EDR will vary from one make to another and even within different models produced by the same OEM. The other issue is that EDRs are often built into an airbag control module, secondary restraint system (SRS) module, or electronic control module (ECM), which means they can’t be removed or tampered with at all.

Even when a vehicle has a discrete component that only functions as an EDR, it is almost always tied into the airbags or SRS in some way. This is particularly true of newer vehicles, and you may find that even if you manage to locate a discrete EDR, your airbags may deploy as soon as you start messing around with it.

If you’re really serious about disabling or removing your EDR, then your best bet is to look for someone else who has already successfully done so with a vehicle that precisely matches the make, model, and year of yours and then proceed from there.

Of course, there are potential consequences of tampering with an EDR that go above and beyond accidentally deploying your airbags. For instance, tampering with these devices is actually illegal in some jurisdictions. Just to be safe, you should always check your local laws before messing around with your EDR.

Buying a Car Without a Black Box

Although it may be difficult or even impossible to disable the EDR in your car, you always have the option of buying a used vehicle that doesn’t have one. In some cases, you’ll have to dig pretty deep, but there are other automakers that only jumped on the bandwagon relatively recently. For instance, General Motors was already installing EDRs in most of its vehicles in 1998.

While there is no comprehensive list of vehicles that do or do not have EDRs, one somewhat counterintuitive place to start your research is with the companies that build the devices that interface with EDRs, since they provide lists of vehicles that their equipment is compatible with. Companies that offer accident investigation services also provide lists of vehicles that they are capable of pulling data from. Find a vehicle that isn’t on one of those lists, and you may have found yourself a car that doesn’t have a black box.

In this article, the automotive engineers at Robson Forensic provide an introduction on the capabilities and limitations of vehicle EDR (black box) data.

​Automotive Event Data Recorders

The Event Data Recorder (EDR) or vehicle ‘black box’ is one of the most useful tools available to crash reconstructionists. For vehicles equipped with this technology, and when the recorders work as intended, the EDR provides crash investigators with valuable information that in many instances could not otherwise be collected. Despite the many advantages of EDRs, these systems have their shortcomings.

In this article we provide an introductory lesson on the benefits and potential pitfalls of using EDR data. We also explain some of the information that is commonly provided within EDR read-outs and some insight on when you should question the data presented.

History, Fundamentals, and Regulations of EDRs

General Motors began recording collision data to gauge real world performance of airbags and other restraint system components by recording the crash pulse. Later, GM added the ability to store vehicle parameters such as speed prior to the collision. Event data recording is typically handled by the Airbag Control Module (ACM), but in some vehicles data can be stored and retrieved from the Engine Control Module (ECM) or Powertrain Control Module (PCM). In the industry, we generally call them Event Data Recorders (EDR) - the systems concerning the collection, storage, and retrievability of onboard motor vehicle crash event data. Crash Reconstructionists and Police can often retrieve crash and/or pre-crash data with Bosch Corporation’s Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) System or manufacture specific software/hardware. Not all vehicles can be downloaded as:

• not all vehicles are compatible (non-supported OEMs, older cars)
• not all crashes trigger the recorder (rear impacts, light crashes)
• some recorders may be damaged, or lose power during a crash event

Check with a Robson Forensic expert or the Bosch Corporation to determine which vehicles can be downloaded. In general, the CDR can access some GM vehicles as old as 1994, Fords from 2001, Toyotas from 2003, Chryslers from 2006, and some Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Volvo, and Volkswagens from 2012. As of Sept. 1, 2014, all new cars, light trucks, vans and SUVs sold in the United States must be equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR) in accordance with 49CFR563.

Available Data

The designed purpose of the EDR is to monitor data from specified sensors and record that data in the event of a collision that is of sufficient force to cause an airbag deployment. Some systems will also record events that are near the threshold for airbag deployment. In performing this task, the ACM uses integrated and remote mounted accelerometers and possibly other sensors that monitor the deceleration rate and heading of a vehicle to determine the severity of a collision and determine what, if any, passive restraint systems should be deployed. The various vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) have unique criteria used in creating the deployment threshold. Some of the crash parameters that may be recorded include:

• “x” seconds of pre-crash data
• Speed of vehicle (MPH)
• Crash severity (delta-V)
• Safety belt status
• Engine throttle %
• Accelerator pedal %
• Brake switch status
• Brake lamps status
• Cruise control status
• Yaw rate (deg/sec) (if equipped)
• Traction control button (if equipped)
• Shift gear position (if equipped)
• Seat track position (if equipped)
• Airbag Warning Lamp “On” Time Before Event (min)
• Tire pressure

Potential Problems with EDR Data

Many reconstructionists prefer to rely on EDR data to provide an unbiased measure of pre-impact actions and impact speeds. However, there are times that EDR information should not be relied upon, or requires in depth interpretation, such as when:

• The EDR data contradicts physical evidence
• The data is out of the common driving range (low or high)
• There is a discontinuity in the data (flat lines, spikes, etc.)
• Events such as multiple impacts, spins, airborne, rollover, or narrow object collisions
• The ownership of the data is disputed or the chain of evidence is suspect

When a vehicle impacts multiple objects, the timing of the recorded events can be flawed or out of sequence, as data is continually overwritten. Impacts that compromise the electrical system may yield bad data. Data in the EDR comes from multiple systems, this data can be out of sync or wrong compared to the Airbag Control Module’s timing circuit and accelerometer(s). Newer EDRs may have the ability to record more than one event.

Airbag Event Data Recorder Supported Vehicles

EDR components can corrode over time. Also, data can be overwritten or plain wrong if the download is performed improperly. Collisions and vehicle maneuvers that alter the wheel speed relative to the actual vehicle speed can yield misleading data. This can occur when the vehicle goes airborne, spins, loses or locks-up a wheel, rolls over, or is cut in half. Narrow and light weight object impacts as well as small overlap collisions are often either not recorded or the data is flawed. The duration of the impact also may exceed the recording threshold of the EDR.

VEHICLE CRASH INVESTIGATIONS

Every expert in the Crash practice at Robson Forensic came to our firm after longstanding careers in the automotive industry. As automotive engineers they understand vehicle dynamics and how vehicles respond before, during, and after a crash. Our engineers, through their education and training, have a thorough understanding of physics and vehicle systems and how they affect the nuances of crash reconstruction.

To discuss your case with a subject matter expert, submit an inquiry through our website.

Featured Experts

Steven Becker

Steven conducts investigations involving vehicle failures and malfunctions, both as a crash reconstructionist and as a design expert. Steven’s engineering and design experience reaches nearly every mechanical and structural aspect of the vehicle. Steven has direct experience with the design and use of product durability test equipment as well as the quality assurance pro¬grams utilized by the auto industry. Steven is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), holds a Pennsylvania State Inspection License and has been published on Engineering Test and Analysis Methods on multiple occasions.

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