“Black boxes require American cars to gather more information”

In the event of an accident in the United States, more information than is currently available on the black box of the vehicles involved must be provided. This is according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Currently, that black box is required to record information about the five seconds prior to the crash.

However, U.S. officials want to extend that period to twenty seconds before the crash. In this way, it should NHTSA To better understand the causes of the accident.

Advanced driver assistance systems

NHTSA has been researching the introduction of additional measures for the past three years. The U.S. Congress decided in the middle of the last decade that black boxes of cars would provide additional information about accidents. The NHTSA was expected to have laid down strict rules by the end of the last decade.

Transportation officials point out that the black box can be an important tool in determining data Conditions and causes of the accident Find out. This also applies to accidents where the impact of advanced driving assistance systems is suspected.

According to the NHTSA, by collecting additional data, a detailed snapshot of the driver’s actions can be taken. In the last minutes before the accident Has undertaken.

“It will help transform future designs into better safety conditions for the automotive industry,” it said. “In addition, the data obtained will enable the implementation of more efficient security regulations.”

It should be noted that at the beginning of the last decade, the NHTSA used black box data in its investigation into accidental acceleration detected in the range of Toyota vehicles.

Mandatory built-in

Ten years ago it was proposed that all new cars in the United States be fitted with a black box. However, at the instigation of then US President Donald Trump, the proposal was withdrawn by the NHTSA three years ago. It has been suggested that car manufacturers have already voluntarily installed black boxes in almost all cars.

Black boxes collect speed, forces emitted during a collision, airbag activation, application of the brakes, and load on the seat belts.

Eighteen years ago, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended A black box on all new cars To be obligated. It was the crash that killed nine people in California.

The NHTSA estimates that 99.5 percent of new vehicles already have a black box installed. The new rules could be introduced soon in September next year.

(fjc)