The US Department of Transportation's(DOT)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)has introduced a proposal aimed at mandating all the light passenger vehicles to be installed with event data recorders(EDR),commencing from 01 September 2014,to enhance vehicle safety.
EDRs will capture important data associated with safety within the seconds before and during a motor vehicle crash.
US transportation secretary Ray LaHood said by understanding how drivers respond in a crash and whether key safety systems operate properly,NHTSA and automakers can improve vehicle and roadway safety.
"This proposal will give us the critical insight and information we need to save more lives,LaHood said.
According to NHTSA,about 96%2013 model year passenger cars and light-duty vehicles have already been equipped with EDRs,which are placed within the vehicle and require hardware and software to download the information.
The EDR gets triggered during a crash or air bag deployment and begins collecting data in the seconds before and during a crash which can be used to enhance highway safety
EDRs are capable of recording vehicle speed,whether the brake was activated before the crash,crash forces at the moment of impact,data regarding the engine throttle,timing of air bag deployment and air bag readiness prior to the crash as well as whether the vehicle occupant's seat belt was buckled.
NHTSA administrator David Strickland said that EDRs provide critical safety information that might not otherwise be available to NHTSA to evaluate what happened during a crash--and what future steps could be taken to save lives and prevent injuries.
"A broader EDR requirement would ensure the agency has the safety-related information it needs to determine what factors may contribute to crashes across all vehicle manufacturers,"Strickland said.
