Black Box : Event Data Recorder Rulemaking and Analysis

This is the first and only book written which details and analyses the final National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rulemaking for automotive Event Data Recorders (EDRs). It provides useful information to anyone who drives or rides in motor vehicles and that includes almost everybody. To date, there have been hundreds of news and magazine articles, and numerous radio and television stories ? but only four books written exclusively about how and why modern-day vehicles use on-board EDRs. This, fifth book, picks up where the other books left off and covers history, research, legislation, regulation and petitions for reconsideration by automakers and advocates. The information needed to understand the technology and to answer motorists? questions and concerns about the widespread use of EDRs are provided, including:? Examination of the unique legal and privacy issues? Chronological summary of key events from 1998 to 2007? State legislation initiatives? USDOT/NHTSA Fnal EDR Rulemaking & Analysis? Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations? Detailed bibliography? Petitions for ReconsiderationThe book's objective is to debunk myths, mystery and misinformation. You may wonder: ? What is an Event Data Recorder (EDR) ? What is the difference between an EDR and a ?black box? common in airplanes? Why are automakers installing EDRs in modern vehicles? Why do safety advocates believe we need these emerging technologies? What do privacy advocates fear about EDRs? What are the positive and negative perceptions of EDRs to the public? What types of crash data do EDRs record and for what duration? Can the EDR record where the vehicle traveled or how fast it was going at any given time? Under what circumstances will people have access to data? How do professionals analyze data ? what special equipment do they use? How do EDRs function during pre-crash, crash and post-crash mode? Under what circumstances can third parties, such as law enforcement or insurance companies, download data from EDRs? How do third parties, such as insurance companies, collect and manage electronically recorded event data? Who has access to crash data? What is the USDOT/NHTSA regulation for EDRs? Why have automakers and advocates petitioned for reconsideration of the final rulemaking?These are just a few of the important and timely questions affecting every motorist and passenger in the world ? including you! This truly is a ?BIG? big deal issue ? a matter of life and death for those involves in motor vehicle crashes. The advantages of this technology are numerous, from providing a useful complement to objective information from victims, eye witnesses, and police reports; improving vehicle and road design; and reducing fraudulent auto insurance claims to assisting medical personnel with on-scene triage of victims. Despite the benefits offered by EDRs, this technology has been plagued by a series of private and public concerns from automotive manufacturers and consumers, including lack of public disclosure by manufacturers regarding the installment of the technology in certain models to issues involving privacy.Kowalick, Thomas M. is the author of 'Black Box : Event Data Recorder Rulemaking and Analysis', published 2007 under ISBN 9780978717124 and ISBN 0978717120.