SnappyPappy

It is common knowledge that many new cars are being outfitted with electronic black boxes known as 'EDR's (Event Data Recorders.) These innocous little devices can record our driving habits (speed, braking, seat belt use, steering and more.) That information in the wrong hands (Insurance, lawyers, police) could be intrusive to our privacy and lead to a lot of mischief. The National Transportation Safty Board NTSB, wants them installed on all new cars - guess why! To report on our driving habits. Big Brother anyone?? Our privacy is being nibbled away piece by piece. Camera's recording our comings and goings, Government monitoring our communications - now our Cars with a snitch riding just under the drivers seat recording all of our driving habits to be down loaded by local law enforcement. I say enough is enough!!!! Acura DO NOT INSTALL these devices!!! Or at least give us the ability to turn them off.

Perhaps some place on this forumn this subject has been addressed. If so I'd like a pointer to it. Meanwhile does anyone have an answer to the question posed in the subject title???

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Yes...the 3G TL does have an event recorder...and a fairly extensive event recorder at that. Any car with airbags has this....not sure it is as extensive as I hear the TL's is though...but fact is....that is just what I have heard. Not sure law enforcement has access to it without a warrant though?

PS....this has been beat to death here...do a search on it, you will find several posts on it.

fast-tl

^^I'm with him. Air bags brought with them the black box, so you're too late! A search will confirm this.

loud_whispers

Your ECU is pretty much an event recorder. It records events whenever 1 DTC is set, even though it is not stored with the light illuminated, the data is still in freeze frame. All is seen through the Honda Diagnostic Syste,(HDS).

If you come into the dealership with a check engine light and check brakes.. We check the light and look at the event recorder through our HDS. It's a misfire code..Oh look, the misfire code set at 6900rpm's..

Then the customer is caught in a lie saying he "baby's" his brakes and doesnt know why they are worn. Better off being truthful about things.

On the other hand, if we have access to the event recorder then the government does also. So don't speed and be the cause of an accident. Keep it safe on the roads.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Not all cars have the so-called "black box."

GM was the first to implement this, to record events during the 5 seconds prior to an impact. It's called the "Sensing Diagnostic Module" or SDM for short. Its primary purpose is to research the SRS and help make it better. It oversees and records the permeters such as braking, accelerating, speed, etc.

I only know of one case where the data made its way into a court room, and that's when a drunk Vette driver was going over a 100 mph, went over a hill, rear ended a Geo instantly killing two people, then ending up inside a nearby house. The SDM showed that he was not on the brakes at the time, and he was clearly drunk at the scene of the accident. It HELPED the case, but it didn't BUILD the case. He was charged with drunk driving and criminal negligence or something like that.

It still takes a court order to acquire the data from the SDM (well, at least to use it legally in a court room), because it's for research only and the data is still considered private. No court is going to order the SDM data to be released and interpreted for your 10 over speeding ticket on the highway.

Hybrid

Why only think about the "bad" side? Couldn't this device also prove you are right? Such as the other party is guilty of causing an accident, or you were NOT driving too fast, or your warranty doesn't deserve to be voided? There's two sides to it. Shouldn't the side that's in the right deserve to prevail? Just something to think about. (I don't necessarily want them either).

Formula 350

I am not sure... and am not doing the research, but I think it was Volvo who was the first to have some kind of recorder... I remember many years ago seeeing a PBS show on accidents and that Volvo had a team that would go to all fatal accidents involving their cars... they had installed a box that recorded some information that they retrieved so they could build better cars... they did not tell police etc. because they did not want them to get the data...

SouthernBoy

Yep. Many, if not most, of the laws and regulations which affect you on a day to day basis have been brought about through acts and agency (think of the EPA here).

In the entire history of man, there is nothing more evil and sinister than government. Doubt me? Just take an historical journey through the last century and see how they were responsible for the deaths of over a quarter of a billion people. Our Founders knew this when they designed our form of government and made sure we, the people, had the necessary tools to check our government should it decide to get out of hand. The First Amendment and the Second Amendment being the most important of our natural rights. But we have been losing our rights over the years and in the past 50 years, this insidious creeping evil has increased.

I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin's comment: "They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Oh well, I'll get off of my soap box now.

SnappyPappy

My sentiment exactly!! When we give up bits of our freedom (yes even freedom to do the wrong thing) the accumulative effect is more government control and errosion of our liberty. Technology can be a wonderful thing unless it is used in a perverted manner in the name of safety. I would contend that most of the users of this forum have broken the speeding lawsto some degree or other.
(as defined by arbitrary standards, I mean what is truely a safe highway speed - studies have shown the rule of 85% is safest - speed of 85% of the prevailing traffic flow.) It's just the nature of the type of driver attracted to this genre of automobile. Does that make TL drivers unsafe - not neccessarily. Personally, I think the driver of those SUV tanks drifting along at the speed limit and day dreaming are far more dangerious and less attentive to driving conditions. Does your black box know this?? Hell NO!!! Where is it that we got to vote or approve having a tracking device in our automobiles?? Where is our control? Who makes those decisions? AND where is the outrage??

vp911

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...event+recorder

pilozm

According to recently signed law in New York State, manufacturers must disclose use of an EDR on any vehicle sold or leased in New York State.

Does anyone have a link to exactly what the Acura EDR does? Time of recording? What information it records?

CTLYankee

The only car maker that stated they have installed the "black box" is GM. They started installing in some of their cars in 2000. No one else has made this declaration, but that doesn't mean they haven't.

priggly

No, do not get off your soap box.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

--Edmund Burke

shockwave

This reminds me of another great quote, that I believe is also attributed to Franklin:

"It is every citizen's duty to impede the flow of government."

joed40

I do believe that it is now safe to assume that ALL new autos have them, not just GM. Scary crap indeed!

fast-tl

^^That's correct.