Auto Insurance Black Box Technology Meets Your Darkest Fears
What is a black box?
A black box is an instrument designed to record and transmit data from an automobile when it crashes. The data is used to investigate the causes of the accident and support any claims of liability.
The black box technology in cars was first developed in 1965 and has been installed in vehicles all over the world, from America, Europe, Japan, Australia etc. The only type of vehicle not equipped with this advanced technology are motorcycles.
What is a black box for cars capable of storing?
Black boxes can store a lot of data, depending on the manufacturer. For instance, some of the most advanced ones can record up to 25 hours worth of driving.
"If you have an accident and get serious injuries, it will tell you whether or not there was sudden breaking before the impact," said attorney Chris Breen in a recent interview with AZ Central . "It'll tell you how fast the vehicles were going." The black box's data may refute or support allegations made in a lawsuit over an accident. The plaintiff's attorney could use that information to prove negligence by another driver. Insurance adjusters can use it to adjust compensation for policyholders.
The only way the data will be released to the public is if and only if a judge or jury agrees that there's enough evidence to make it public.
"It's safe for you here," said Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who released a report on crash-black box records earlier this year. "The fact that an accident has occurred doesn't mean that the accident was caused by you." The report included current state law allowing police, prosecutors and victim advocates to receive crash records without a search warrant. The information contained in these boxes can include "your driving habits, how fast you were going, where you were going, whether your brakes were engaged. It's a lot of information."
"It's for the protection of drivers and passengers in your family," said Breen. "It may help reduce the amount you have to pay on your premiums."
Benefits of Black Boxes
Aside from the obvious crash investigations aspect, black boxes also come with other benefits. For example, they can measure:
Black Box Cameras – Some new cars have a black box camera built into them, which is activated if a collision occurs. These cameras will help investigators determine who was at fault after accidents. Insurance companies use this information to set claims amounts.
The radar and laser readers are also integral in proving liability in the event of an accident. Some vehicles already come with these sensors. They're located just beneath the rearview mirror on your vehicle.
Crash Sensors – The front and side-mounted airbags are one of the most prominent crash sensors. They are shaped like a small, inflated balloon that deploys to protect occupants of the car in the event of a collision. When the airbags are deployed, the car's black box activates to record all of the necessary data. Other crash sensors may include the side-mounted curtain airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioner that tighten up to restrain people during a collision.
"If you have an accident and get serious injuries, it will tell you whether or not there was sudden breaking before the impact," said attorney Chris Breen in a recent interview with AZ Central . "It'll tell you how fast the vehicles were going." The black box's data may refute or support allegations made in a lawsuit over an accident. The plaintiff's attorney could use that information to prove negligence by another driver. Insurance adjusters can use it to adjust compensation for policyholders.
The only way the data will be released to the public is if and only if a judge or jury agrees that there's enough evidence to make it public.
"It's safe for you here," said Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who released a report on crash-black box records earlier this year. "The fact that an accident has occurred doesn't mean that the accident was caused by you." The report included current state law allowing police, prosecutors and victim advocates to receive crash records without a search warrant. The information contained in these boxes can include "your driving habits, how fast you were going, where you were going, whether your brakes were engaged. It's a lot of information.
"It's for the protection of drivers and passengers in your family," said Breen. "It may help reduce the amount you have to pay on your premiums."
What does the black box do?
Data can be recorded from various components within vehicles, including: Vehicle speed Radar sensors Accelerometers (to measure acceleration) Heaters (to measure temperature) Seatbelts and airbags Automatic door locks Heating/cooling systems
A couple of not commonly known facts about the black box is that it may record if you turn off your car lights at night and set it to low beams. The sensors will also record speed if someone is trapped in a crashed vehicle.
"The black box, if you want to call it that, is not a new concept," said Patty McQueen, director of legislative affairs for the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. "It's been out there for a long time." However, she didn't know if it was currently used in Arizona.
In 2011, driving data on cars equipped with black boxes was shown to be accurate and trustworthy as a method of measuring collision risk. The study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that cars equipped with this technology were not more likely to be involved in collisions than other vehicles. Researchers say that there was not enough data to assess the black boxes' ability to predict crashes.
The study involved 9,000 cars and trucks, with a third of them being outfitted with black box technology. They collected data on all three types of vehicles over a period of 6.5 million miles and 2.4 years. This provided researchers the opportunity to look at whether or not black box technology was just as accurate in predicting driving performance as traditional methods used by insurance companies: in-person driver evaluations and claims information on past collisions.
The results didn't indicate that the black box data was flawed. The vehicles with the technology had the same crash rates as cars without it. When researchers compared crashes between the cars equipped with black boxes and those that were not, they found that there was virtually no difference in injury rates. The study did, however, suggest that it would be an efficient way for insurance companies to help them reduce their payouts for collision damage claims.
Researchers found that the technology actually helped them to connect some of the dots when a driver may have been involved in a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian. It could provide more information regarding factors such as driver error and how speed may have contributed to a crash.
Conclusion
These days, the black box is a necessary part of a motor vehicle. Insurance companies use it to lower the rates if they know you've been involved in an accident. It may be used by police and insurance investigators to determine liability after an accident. Manufacturers use it for research purposes to determine if different safety features are working well and which ones need to be improved upon.
If you have been involved in an accident and are concerned that your vehicle's black box may have recorded information that could compromise your legal case, then contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. They can help you by thoroughly examining all available evidence surrounding the accident.