The global centre for innovation in transport, TRL, is calling for an update to UK and EU laws governing the accessibility of vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) evidence. TRL believe EDR data must be made available to authorities, insurers and road safety researchers to improve safety, speed up legal proceedings and save lives.
EDRs were introduced in the 1970s and are present in most new vehicles today. It is the equivalent of a black box that records a range of data from safety systems fitted to the vehicle in the seconds before, during and after a collision. Importantly, EDR data helps provide accurate and reliable information on the actions taken in the pre-collision phase.
Unfortunately, in the UK and EU, the accessibility of EDR data is restricted due to a lack of up-to-date legislation. Manufacturers are not currently required to provide EDR data to authorities, road safety researchers or even vehicle owners.
As consumers become used to granting consent on data sharing on almost everything, from smartphones to fridges, Alexa to doorbells, it seems a logical step to ask car drivers to consent to the same T&Cs when they buy or lease a car. Especially if that consent can provide the hard evidence that clears them of blame in the event of an accident.
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