You can extract accident data from the EDR or electronic control module in a vehicle
Most modern cars have computer data on the accident
A device roughly comparable to airplane crash investigation devices is often inside many modern vehicles. These can record crucial data seconds leading up to impact (and sometimes even afterward). These devices allow vehicle manufactures to make improvements based off real world experiences. However, if the vehicle is involved in an accident this data can assist in determining what happened at the time of the accident.
Event Data Recorder
The vehicle’s EDR or electronic control module is this “black box”. It records technical information about the car before, during and after crashes. These devices have been placed in cars since the early 2000’s. The manufacturers’ goal is to help analyse accidents to prevent them in the future. However, if the vehicle is in an accident, it proved info to determine circumstance of accident.
The vehicle’s “black box” is often located under the passenger seat, driver’s seat, or centre console of the car. You can likely find the information about your car’s EDR in your owner’s manual.
What data is recorded?
EDR systems are vehicle motive devices that monitor how well your car performs in an incident. Initially designed as a safety measure. EDR systems can record information about what happened to the driver or the vehicle around time of the collision. Vehicle manufacturers had these EDRs installed so they could determine where things went wrong when it comes down for litigation purposes. Today some legal departments are using data recorded by these systems for litigation.
Your Car's EDR system likely records the following information if you're involved in a crash
- Seat belt use
- Vehicle speed
- Acceleration and deceleration speeds
- Airbag deployment times
- Use of brakes
- Tilt of the vehicle
- Steering angles
- Force of impact
The recording only contains information beginning 20 seconds before the crash. Yet it can be an important piece in your investigation process. Especially if you’re looking into what happened to cause or contribute towards someone’s injuries in a vehicle collision. A few models even use GPS tracking. A few can pull video or audio from inside vehicles. This helps provide clarity about how events unfolded leading up until impact.
An Examples of Pre-Crash Data Report:
Preserving evidence
The EDR will regularly erase data to make room for new recordings. Some devices begin erasing recorded information after 30 days. This can cause important evidence from an accident to go missing before you start your investigation.
How to obtain the computer data
Accessing the data in the vehicle is subject to a specific legal process applicable to the country you live in.
Extracting data from EDR for vehicle safety research
You likely want to know what is on the EDR. The black box in the car is an important device that records valuable information after a crash. You should never try to access it yourself. This can be damaging the device and cause errors if not done correctly. Thus, losing precious data. Proper access of the EDR requires software, hardware and cables designed for the box. You should use experts that know how attain and read the data accurately!
