New Federal Rules To Require Black Boxes to Record Driver Activity in Every Car

Okay, so if this is done wrong, it could lead to big brother like where the govt keeps tabs on speeding, etc. The best is to only use it to review crashes that resulting in either totaling of a vehicle or serious injury.

@Flaming Arthropod -> Big Brother is already watching you, he collects your information from companies, from phone calls, from cameras located all over the place, he knows where you have been thanks to GPS and other tracking techs. We are just lucky that he doesn't act on the data, yet.

As to this article, I can't say how excited I am for automated cars, taking a nap during that hour commute, watching a movie on the long drive, reduced traffic congestion and thus better travel times, perhaps after the initial proving period, enhanced speeds. Cheers to the future!

Nice. Maybe people will start being a little bit more careful if they know that their carelessness can be proven.

Should keep tabs on cellphone signals (but not actual calls of course) inside the vehicle. I don't know about a camera inside the car (privacy), but why not make one aimed outside the car? Dashboard mounted camera, or sideview mirror mounted cameras. These should become standard with all the vehicular advances we're having nowadays. Cameras are very small nowadays and can easily be implemented. Information can simply be overwritten everyday or every hour.

I remember someone telling me about how a vehicle can "determine" whether the driver has fallen asleep. It was based on the fact that while we're driving, we generally consistently make small corrective actions which could easily be translated into an electrical signal. As we fall asleep, we no longer make those actions, which wouldn't send any sort of signal. Perhaps a similar bit of technology could become standardized in steering columns of cars as well.

For that matter, I wish people would place a higher priority in advances that are beneficial, instead of just basic desires. These ideas here are great, but they do add to the complexity of the vehicle. That said, some vehicles can lose their complexity (i.e. powered mirrors - just move it with your hand, powered seats, and too many LED displays). But if you can make all that affordable, maintainable and safe, then by all means, go for it.

9 times out of ten it's going to be "Hold my beer, watch this!"

The problem with the black box is that a thief with electronic equipment will be able to read the data without ever having to touch the box.

It is past time to put an end to the BS! We didn't have this last year and we don't need it now!!!

One more reason to keep my '85 Toyota Hilux 4x4. Computer in a car? ... I don't dink so.

Screw the Feds.

Every state has its maximum speed limit. I think each new care being sold in that state should be electronically limited 10mph above the speed limit. This would reduce the upper server deadly accidents and sever damages caused from high speed. I know it would also reduce the amount of traffic ticket too.
Some police officers or police departments maybe unofficially against it, because they depend on this revenue. The reduction of accidents would also help to reduce insurance rates. What I propose would not cause any inconvenience to society and the average driver.

Arg! Where is my spell check, lol. Every state has its maximum speed limit. I think each new car being sold in that state should be electronically limited 10mph above the speed limit. This would reduce the upper severe deadly accidents and severe damages caused from high speed. I know it would also reduce the amount of traffic ticket too.
Some police officers or police departments maybe unofficially against it, because they depend on this revenue. The reduction of accidents would also help to reduce insurance rates. What I propose would not cause any inconvenience to society and the average driver.
NOTE: Black boxes have been incorporated in the ABS system or Airbag systems for years. The government is really making is more legal and easy to access the data off these boxes. Also the laws can require standards of what data is being stored on these boxes. Perhaps in the future, if the police officer SUSPECTS you of speeding, he can pull you over, remote access you black box for confirmation of your speed and then hand you, your ticket. Maybe as you drive down the highway, they will develop automatic electric sensors and just send you a speeding ticket in the mail.
Finally, some good hacker will gain access to the computers running this system and we'll all receive speeding tickets as we sleep in the night and our car is parked.

While at times it feels fun to accelerate fast and to have a powerful car. In reality, cars simply do not need to travel in access of 80 miles per hour on any USA highway. Yes it feels fun, but it's not normally legal and the additional speed is just dangerous. Sure, sure, those who buy powerful expensive cars want the ability to drive 140, 150,200mph and they drive Jaguars, Mercedes, Audis, Hummers, etc. It's just expensive highway jewelry, but it's not really needed... Besides, as a society we are going to have to change what we drive, if we are really serious about getting off this OIL habit.

The problem is that sensors are wrong. I worked at a fleet vehicle service station for trucks and cars. Scanners would have some speed sensors up to 30 mph off. I never saw a computer read the same between two exact models of cars. Each sensor is off a bit or in some cases a lot.

Unless the sensors were held to some daily calibration they would be useless in any court. Less than hearsay.

No sensor in any car is held to any calibration standard and now you want to use that for criminal and civil suits? I would hate to have my word being refuted by a sensor bought at the lowest price and suspect quality. I had to change all 4 of my valve stems and you'd think F*&d would have made sure that they were to some standard. Seems air in tires isn't an important thing to them. I did get a letter saying I ought to check it after two failed on the highway.

This is not the type of black box in an aircraft. They cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and with good reason. They are more accurate but never are they held as exact. They only are held as what the sensors were reporting.

BubbaGump, shut up. You "know" none of that. You continually say "will", "would", and such, as if you've actually done any research, experiments, or even have any data whatsoever to back up what you say. Just stop.

At any rate, requiring black boxes in every car would be useful for reasons stated in the article, but I can't help but think it would be a clear violation of privacy. If the government can access the information in the black box after a crash, what would stop them from retrieving it at any other point in time?

@Flaming Arthropod - Well the IF its done wrong isnt what concerns me. Have you ever seen the government NOT misuse information gathering tools? Or for matter do something right?

Stay the hell out of my car. Like Insurance companies don’t already have enough reasons to charge us more "incase" something happens. I have hail damage all over my car, you might say “why don’t you turn it into the insurance company”? Simple Because, they will raise my rates. I vote NO to all new regulation until the insurance giants are out of the governments pocket and put into check.

i lie when i wanna be interesting for others like make new regulations for goverments

What an utterly terrifying prospect. George Orwell is rolling over in his grave - or possibly climbing out of it.

God I love my '55 Plymouth.

Oh, and Phillip K. Dick should be nominated for Sainthood -regardless of any protests he would have made while he was still with us. "John Anderton! You deserve a Guiness!"

Is there a reason or theroy why a recording on a black box for a diesel engine would be incorrect?
Example: shows the RPMs at 4500. Chevrolet diesels red line at 3,350 RPMs.
My guess is no one government regulation covers every sitituation!

can't you see that the government; the people who are paid by us through our tax dollars, making decisions on our behalf, are impeding on our constitutional rights and offering some form of positive benefit by something designed to monitor you, what you do, where you do it and how you do it. People, WAKE UP! I'm not a political person but seeing this and other activities by government officials, I see more and more 'police state' activities and give it time...you will see, along with these black boxes and gps phone tracking... zdnet has an article. google 'cell phone federal authorities tracking' for keywords.
see for yourself. We're all just standing around saying "well, I guess it's ok". NO! IT'S NOT OK!! You are no longer a citizen. You are a civilian. Guilty until proven innocent.