Spies Riding Shotgun

Slashdot has covered before the proliferation of black boxes - event data recorders - in modern automobiles, that automatically record data about what the car has been doing and make it available after the fact to police, insurance companies, and people suing you - just about everyone except you, in fact. We'll add to that with yet another story about the computerized spy riding shotgun in your new car.

Comments

As long as they come with an off switch.

[BitterOak]

I see nothing inherintly bad with this technology itself. In fact, it could prove quite useful at times. But it is vitally important that buyers be informed of these systems, and they must be equipped with an off switch.

Does anyone know if all existing systems such as On-star can be turned off easily by the driver?

Drivecam

[Zorilla]

Oh, well, I suppose anything is better than what happened to this guy.

It's a Drivecam video - it records the last 30 seconds or so of driver video and only saves it if an accident occurs. The guy was probably kicking himself for installing it. It probably killed whatever insurance claim he had.

From TFA

[ryanjensen]

Or take the driver who races his Miata one weekend and files a warranty claim the next. What are the chances that his data recorder will rat him out to the manufacturer who then voids the warranty?

So, he knowingly voided his warranty by racing his Miata. He then tries to defraud the manufacturer by filing a false warranty claim (he no longer has a warranty) and HE is the victim? Give me a fucking break.

For those of use who do not intentionally void our warranty, "black box" recording devices should be seen as a positive: overall, the manufacturer will save on fraudulent warrantee repairs, and warrantee coverage can improve.

Re:From TFA

[technos]

One of the first things I do in any new car is check out how it accelerates, how it handles me throwing it around a turn too fast, and how controllable it is in a skid. It's a "save my ass" thing. I want to know that I can make the short ramps to I-5 safely when the slow lane is doing 75MPH and packed. I want to know if the rear end throws out easily when all four are locked. I want to know if I'm going to have to surf the broken glass on the shoulder at full speed or if I can brake and change lanes when I come up on the dark, dead car three lengths from me in the middle of night. I want to know if I'm going to get it up to the top of some of the places I work. I'm going to take it on rutted fire roads to see if I clear or if I'm going to need to rut jockey.

All of which will trip the box in an Onstar vehicle.

Disabling?

[Rii]

"You can't shut it off, and you can't manipulate it," says General Motors safety engineering spokesman Jim Schell.

What would happen if I took a nice, powerful magnet and stuck it to the side of their box?

Re:You know what?

[bladesjester]

"Driving at 80 mph "in a 50" in the middle of the night, with not a cloud in the sky, on a completely empty, straight road? No."

I wish I could do that here. Unfortunately the roads here aren't even safe when there are no other cars on them. Deer are a real problem here (to the point that it doesn't really have an effect on your insurance premium. The companies just go "oh, another one" and hand over the cash without really penalizing you.)

So speaks the guy who has totaled 2 cars (one of which was only doing 20mph at the time. seriously) from hitting deer. And I've lost count of how many I've managed to avoid.

Just rip them out

[Ajmuller]

Why not just rip the black boxes out? has anyone ever tried this, I would go out in my garage right now and rip the damn thing out but I only have old cars that almost certianly don't have boxes.
Would removing the black box cause the car to stop functioning? I mean, we could just replace the box moments before returning it to the service facility. In fact, don't even remove the box, just pull the cables assuming they are not hard-wired. if they are snip a wire or two and make it look like it was damaged.

The DRM of Crash Test Dummies

[Mulletproof]

"You can't shut it off, and you can't manipulate it..."

...But you can pull the plug. I've found that what appears to be that suspicious black box under the dash of my '02 Elantra. Disconnecting it does not affect the car alarm, radio, ignition, or any other vital feature nessisary to the car's operation.

Honestly, I don't mind the fact that they exist... As long as they are only used in the event of a crash and only at your option. I say that above all else because that box is your property, crash or no crash. The information therein is yours to release or not to release and should be covered as the 5th amendment would be used to protect your innocence. This device cannot run a-ground on the same DRM issues that affect consoles, software and music-- You know, the products you bought but don't actually own? That information is yours, recorded on a device you bought inside the car you own.

Now granted, it may very well be the only thing that proves your innocence. That said, story does have the right idea, however. These things are way too prone to abuse to be used without the proper safeguards in place.

Constitutional rights... man!

[Thunderstruck]

Actually, a lot of these posts raise an interesting question. If technology is going to be able to tell everything about you, for good or ill, what exactly is your right not to testify against yourself worth?

Re:Insurance

[sadomikeyism]

a) you aren't compelled to get insurance (at least not here in New Hampshire).

b) if you are, you also happen to be using the roads of the people making you get the insurance (the state) (and if you thought that meant you were a part owner, or had rights, bub, that sort of thinking ended in most places before Roosevelt or the Russian Revolution...

c) to disabuse slashdotters of the idea that they can't access the same data, pshaw. Go to Autozone and get yourself an OBDII reader. There is more there than just your sensor trouble codes.