Almost 00% of all new, light-duty vehicles are now equipped with event data recorders (“Black boxes”) which store valuable information about how a collision occurred. Many organizations such as police, insurers and various research groups continually gather this data for their purposes. But for the average vehicle owner such actions are close to impossible, for a number of reasons.
Many vehicle owners do not realize that there is collision data stored in modules on their vehicle. In other instances vehicle owners do not understand what data they can obtain. And in other instances they do not know who to approach and what they should ask for when making a request for such data.
There are private collision reconstructionists and forensic engineers who have the equipment to conduct such analyses but they are often retained by various insurers or legal firms and their costs can vary. In other instances collision data cannot be downloaded by such private firms and the only recourse is by making a request directly to a vehicle manufacturer. Requests to vehicle manufacturers are often made to a representative of their legal department.
For those wanting to know, the following text provides instructions from one manufacturer (Nissan) about how this request should be made.
“This email response will serve to notify you that Nissan North America is in receipt of a request for download of electronic data. In order for Nissan North America to assist with an electronic data recorder download request, the following information must be confirmed by the requestor in writing via US mail:
1. Please provide the make, model year, and VIN of the subject vehicle;
2. Confirm that you are in possession of the keys to the vehicle;
3. Confirm that the vehicle can be powered up so that the instrument panel lights illuminate. If the vehicle does not have a power source, the electronic data cannot be downloaded. Please note that if the subject vehicle cannot be powered, you must secure an external power source from an exemplar vehicle in order to complete the download. It is the responsibility of the requesting party to provide and arrange for this, and for all related expenses. There is no way to provide confirmation as to whether a download attempt will be successful prior to commencing;
4. Confirm whether there was airbag deployment. Data may or may not be recorded in a non-deployment event, and recording cannot be confirmed prior to proceeding to download. Some data points that may potentially be captured include vehicle speed, steering angle, or seatbelt status of the front occupants. Again, there is no guarantee that any data may be present, and data cannot be confirmed prior to commencing;
5. Provide the complete street address and lot number, if applicable, for the location of the vehicle, and affirm that the vehicle will be preserved and secured for a length of time necessary to complete the download. Please note that response times are controlled by the availability of the Dealer Technical Specialist who will be scheduled to complete the download. Nissan North America does not control, manage, or have access to the calendars or availability of Dealer Technical Specialists;
6. Confirm the designated contact person with whom the Dealer Technical Specialist can work to complete the download. Please provide name, email address, and telephone number;
7. Please provide written confirmation that Nissan North America is not being named in a product liability claim regarding this incident. Nissan North America does not provide a template for this;
8. Please provide the written consent for download from the vehicle’s owner. Nissan North America does not provide a template for this consent.
If all above requirements can be provided and you still wish to proceed with this request, please MAIL all correspondence in one packet along with the non-refundable payment of $850 per download attempt to the following:
Nissan North America
Attn: Product Liability Claims – Legal Department
P.O. Box 685001
Franklin, TN 37068
Thank you for your inquiry.”
Modern Nissan vehicles can possess additional features that could document collision data but that data may not exist in an EDR download. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) exist in many of these vehicles. ADAS use sensors to monitor traffic conditions and when the potential of a collision is detected ADAS may be enabled to intervene to avoid, or lessen the severity of a collision. However these ADAS interventions are not required to be displayed in a EDR download. Modern Nissans, like most modern vehicles also have cameras, some with video, mounted around their perimeter and the views from these cameras can be downloaded.
However caution is needed to ensure that the cameras can “see” well enough to detect dangers. In conditions of poor weather the view from these cameras can be obscured. In countries such as Canada snow and slush can be thrown onto the camera lens and this can prevent sensors from detecting dangers. Sometimes when the situation deteriorates an alarm will sound indicating that an ADAS is unable to perform properly and the camera lens needs to be wiped clean.
When an EDR download is required there are two ways in which this can be done depending on the damage to the vehicle. If damage is not to extensive imaging hardware can be connected to the Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC)located on the driver’s side, typically underneath the instrument panel.
When vehicle damage is too severe the module containing the EDR must be located, the wiring must be unplugged and the cable from the imaging hardware must be connected to the module. Unfortunately, every manufacturer’s preference for hardware and software varies and this complicates matters. Modules are generally located where there is the least opportunity for collision damage to affect their operation. So often they are located somewhere in the centre interior of a vehicle and often at a low level closer to the floor. There are numerous connector cables required which are different for each manufacturer and sometimes different for individual models. Software is also a challenge as updates are continually required and some manufacturers have decided to use their proprietary programs rather than complying with the larger group of manufacturers who have standardized programs.
In summary, it is officially claimed that vehicle owners have access to the collision data contained in their vehicles. However the practical reality is different. Such data is easier to obtain if you are a member of a large organization such as police, insurers, research institutions and manufacturers. However for almost all vehicle owners such luxuries do not exist.
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