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ADR's or "Black Boxes" for Vehicles: Ever needed an eye witness to an accident? It's your word against theirs!
By Trackeye Pty Ltd
March 26, 2009
By Trackeye Pty Ltd
March 26, 2009
Accident Data Recorders (ADR'S) described as "black boxes" for vehicles, are becoming more prevalent in passenger vehicles, and will arguably become a vehicle manufacturers ‘must have' accessory for new vehicles of the future.
Black boxes primarily consist of acceleration sensors, global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver modules, camera modules, image processing integrated circuits and storage devices.
ADR's record images in much the same way as flight recorders record data in an aircraft, and as a result, they and are being increasingly utilized for their role as a ‘third eye' witness in traffic accidents. Attached to the inside of the windshield, the device shoots video whenever the vehicle sustains ‘a jolt' above a predetermined level, the video image immediately before and after the accident is recorded. Drive recorders have primarily been used in the taxi industry to analyse accidents, though they are also becoming increasingly adopted in industrial fleets and in private cars.
Some Drive recorders record both forward and rear facing video immediately before, and after an accident, or the sudden accelerations or decelerations that could have led to one. Equipping vehicles with such a "black box" provides advantages, namely
(1) Faster insurance claims processing
(2) Monitored driving habits providing safety and perhaps even fuel expenditure savings
(3) Accumulation of data for the development of next-generation safety systems.
(4) reduced number of accidents,
Of these, faster post accident insurance claims processing is an immediate result of just installing the recorder. Equipping a car with a drive recorder would provide the insurance companies with significant benefits including fewer excess insurance payouts and lower personnel and court expenses during negotiations and settlements. The reduced expenses generated could be utilized by the insurers to provide discounts on insurance premium payments for vehicles fitted with drive recorders. Ultimately, and with development, drive recorder data could also be used to introduce new insurance rate schedules based on the actual driving performance of drivers to be insured.
Taxi and parcel delivery companies expend considerable effort on handling accidents, and independent ‘third eye' data that determines who is at fault, as well as the conditions at the accident scene, can sometimes end up being presented in court. With a drive recorder, a more objective judgment can be made, utilizing recorded imagery rather than the somewhat vague recollections of the involved parties.
Taxi Companies in Japan equip their fleets of taxis with these black boxes, because they can be checked immediately after an accident, eliminating arguments with the other driver about whether a signal was red or green. A taxi operator described how a motorcyclist on the centreline side of the taxi at a red light signal, hit the side of the vehicle, and then the following day claimed the taxi had caused the accident. The taxi company merely showed the motorcyclist the imagery and the case collapsed. The recorded imagery does indeed provide compelling evidence.
Data from the drive recorder can be analysed and used to educate drivers in driving safely, leading to fewer accidents. Driver braking and acceleration/de
With all these benefits, it seems likely that drive recorders will be adopted as the norm in commercial vehicles. It is also likely that these devices may grow in popularity in the passenger car market, and demand for black boxes in passenger cars is quite high. Many individuals, such as people who have caused past accidents, particularly involving personal injury, and those who have been subjected to costly legal disputes, or people who just require objective judgments for the sake of their conscience, will find the drive recorder evidence essential.
The reduced administrative claims costs generated could be utilized by the insurance firms to provide discounts on insurance premium payments for those individuals who fit drive recorders and pool their data with a view towards reduced insurance premiums.
Vehicle design already reflects the manufacturers concerns for preventative accident technology, and the drive recorder can play a big part there, too. One key role is collecting data on situations that almost resulted in accidents. The drive recorder can record these alarming events, such as when a driver slams on the brakes. Until now, development of vehicular safety equipment has emphasized protecting the passengers and driver in an accident, such as through airbags and collapsing car bodies. Already the thrust of development seems to be shifting toward a competition in preventive safety: avoiding accidents entirely.
Accumulated drive recorder data in the future will make it possible to identify previously unknown factors in accidents, For the automobile manufacturers, drive recorder data is rapidly becoming indispensable for the development of next-generation safety systems, and that means it is possible that the manufacturers might be willing to bear part of the cost for the safety systems, including the drive recorder, in return for stored data. If a manufacturer sells a car equipped with a drive recorder, for example, it will recommend an insurance company which offers reduced premiums for cars with drive recorders.
When airbags and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) were first introduced in the 1990s as optional extras, they each ran around Yen100, 000, but the automobile manufacturers began strategically equipping new models with them in recognition of the high safety effectiveness they provided. Today, airbags and ABS are found as standard equipment in all new cars. The same phenomenon could well occur with drive recorders, too.