Vehicle blackboxes go high-tech

Posted Tue Jan 2 2007 11:06 PM by Ralph Hanson

Vehicle data recorders are designed to store information about acceleration, speed, and mechanical faults inside your car and over 60% of 2005 year models in the US are currently fitted with this type of device. Now, a Korean company is developing black boxes that also store images just before and after an accident. This is done through the use of a side-mirror mounted camera that takes photos at 20 frames per second. The device stores 14 seconds before the crash, and 6 seconds after, filling in the blanks that traditional vehicle blackboxes can’t provide.

PLK, a division of Hyundai and Kia, offers a similar device as an after-market accessory, but this one also acts as a lane departure warning system. With the cost of blackboxes expected to plummet, it won’t be long before governments start mandating for their inclusion in all cars sold around the world.

Reader Comments

Wed Jan 3 2007 8:35 PM
HECTOR says

Good! Someone please let me know which cars will boast this latest technology so I steer clear of them.

I am 100% behind any technology that makes motoring safer. I am 100% any technology that will be used against me in a court of law or used to deny me insurance benefits.

In the USA there's a thing called the Fifth Amendmend which guarantees that I won't have to testify against myself. I think it's very reasonable to say that my car, being my property, shouldn't be made to testify against me either.

MotorAuthority