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Is your car spying on you? - Aug. 23, 2006
anyone can spy on you
anyone can spy on you
In 2005, it was estimated that about 64 percent of passenger cars on the market came equipped from the factory with "Event Data Recorders" that kept a computer record of various things a driver was doing in the moments just before and after a serious impact. The number today is certainly much higher and the devices are becoming more advanced.
A recent rule passed by NHTSA requires manufacturers to tell people, in the owners manual, if their car has one of these data-recording devices. As it turns out, that formation has been in most owners' manuals for years. It's just that few people read their owners manuals.
The EDRs don't record voices and they only record a few seconds of data about what the car was doing right before and after the crash. Proponents point to the life-saving potential of that data which can be used to assess the performance of a car's safety systems and even to research unusual crash scenarios.
Despite the positive potential, many people still have concerns about their privacy. After all, the car they drive every day could turn snitch.
A recent rule passed by NHTSA requires manufacturers to tell people, in the owners manual, if their car has one of these data-recording devices. As it turns out, that formation has been in most owners' manuals for years. It's just that few people read their owners manuals.
The EDRs don't record voices and they only record a few seconds of data about what the car was doing right before and after the crash. Proponents point to the life-saving potential of that data which can be used to assess the performance of a car's safety systems and even to research unusual crash scenarios.
Despite the positive potential, many people still have concerns about their privacy. After all, the car they drive every day could turn snitch.
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