Car Black Boxes

SAN DIEGO -- The seconds right before and after a car crash are often the most valuable in determining what went wrong.

These days there's often a silent observer capable monitoring the crucial details.

They're called Event Data Recorders, or EDRs, and they work similar to the Black Box in an airplane, providing police with what can be crucial information after an accident.

"That's gonna be additional evidence that we can use to either corroborate or discount a certain statement," said California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings.

Several car maker are currently installing EDRs in all of their vehicles.

Legislation passed this year will eventually require every device to record the same 15 pieces of information including speed, braking and seat belt use.

Most record for a few seconds before and after a crash.

Some advanced versions, however, can track driving habits for days at a time.

For privacy rights expert Beth Givens, recording this information for safety studies and crash investigations is just fine.

However, she says insurance companies have already shown interest in using these devices to monitor customers driving habits.

"That's my main concern really is that it grows into something other than a crash data recorder," Givens explained.

Officer Pennings says the information is only used to supplement an investigation, and even then, they need permission.

The federal government states the information from an EDR belongs to the car's owner and can only be obtained with an owner's permission or a court order.

By 2010 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 85 percent of new cars will have an EDR.