Black Boxes for Cars: Helpful or Potentially Problematic?
As federal regulators consider a requirement that automakers put black boxes in all vehicles, emerging reports indicate that data recorders installed in Toyota vehicles are passing bad information.
December 11, 2010
As federal regulators consider issuing a requirement that automakers put black boxes in all vehicles, emerging reports indicate that the data recorders installed in Toyota vehicles are passing bad information.According to the New York Times, automotive websites have been reporting that the devices used to download data from the black boxes in Toyota cars and trucks have a software bug corrupting information about vehicle speed.
Impossible Speed
Doubts about Toyota data reliability arose after a readout from a Toyota pick-up truck indicated the vehicle had been going 175 mph before it was involved in a car accident. The vehicle's top speed is approximately 107 mph.
The recorders store information about a crash from five to 30 seconds before the event transpires. They are typically linked to the vehicle's air bags, collecting data such as the speed of the vehicle and brake use. After a collision, the data can be downloaded and evaluated.
Concerns About Corrupt Data
Concerns about corrupted information may cause federal investigators to look again at data analyzed in the wake of nationwide reports of unintended acceleration in a number of Toyota vehicles. Toyota officials said their own investigations showed driver error, a gas pedal design flaw and floor mats were to blame for a series of widely publicized crashes, some of which caused injuries and fatalities.
Toyota has replaced accelerator pedals in 1.8 million vehicles and floor mats in over 3.1 million. The Japanese auto giant also paid a record $16.4 million fine earlier this year for its slow response to safety issues.
It still faces lawsuits around the country stemming from crashes in which passengers and drivers were injured and killed.
Legal Liability
Automakers will likely continue to face intense scrutiny from energized federal regulators and a public weary of defective vehicles causing crashes. If you or a member of your family has been harmed in a crash caused by a flawed car, SUV or pick-up, contact a personal injury and wrongful death attorney in your area for an evaluation of your case. A personal injury lawyer investigates the defect and determines who is legally liable for the injuries or deaths the flaw caused.
Article provided by Carty Law PA
Visit us at www.cartylaw.net