Black box: what data will this new mandatory safety system record from July onwards?

As you have probably already noticed, 2022 never stops surprising us. From next July, all vehicles approved in Europe must be fitted with a new driver assistance system, also known by its acronym ADAS. This system is the black box, although its technical name is the EDR. You might think we are talking about aircraft, but that is not the case. The European Union wants cars to be equipped with a technology and a device that helps clarify what may have happened in an accident.

The future black box of cars or Event Data Recorder, EDR, works in a very similar way to the one used in aviation. It will be fitted to passenger cars and light vans with the aim of collecting information about the occupants and the vehicle so that, in the event of an accident, it is possible to know what happened before, during and after the crash. The new black boxes that will be mandatory in cars must be programmed to record all data for the 30 seconds before the incident and the five seconds after it.

The EDRs do not store data constantly, but only when certain sensors detect that there is a high probability of a road accident.

What data can be collected by car black boxes in the event of a crash?

To be more precise, the EDRs or black boxes will be installed in the airbag control unit and will record data on more than fifteen variables, such as engine speed, vehicle speed, the force of the impact whether it is frontal, lateral or even at the rear, the direction of the vehicle, the position of the accelerator pedal and even the operation of safety systems such as driver assistance features, airbags and seat belts.

The new black boxes that will be mandatory from July also store useful data such as the day, the time and the location where the accident occurred. The data is collected anonymously and will never be personal data of the driver or passengers. It only records data; no audio or images are stored.

The aim of introducing this new driver assistance system is to find out the causes that may have occurred during a journey. This is essential for producing reports and statistics that help improve road safety. Both the DGT and the European Union expect the EDR or black box, together with the other mandatory safety assistants, to help save more than 25,000 lives and prevent at least 140,000 serious injuries.