Toyota Black Boxes May Hold Accident Clues

As much as the Toyota Motor Corporation desires to move beyond its recall issues, the Japanese automaker finds that there are enough hurdles in front of it to slow down its efforts.

Sales are down, customers are worried, and a recording device found in most Toyota, Lexus, and Scion models may hold important clues as to how these accidents happened. Unfortunately, Toyota has not been willing to share data found in these so-called “black boxes” mini and simpler versions of technology found in today’s jet airliners.

Black Boxes

Black box data is important because it often sheds light on what happened just before a car got into an accident. In this case, all of the runaway Toyota problems can be examined closer if Toyota would make its data available to federal regulators or law enforcement personnel.

General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have black boxes too, but their data can be read by third party sources including via a tool developed by the Robert Bosch Corporation.

Those tools are used by the police, accident attorneys, and investigators to help determine why a car crashed. Ford, GM, and Chrysler provide licensing to third parties such as Bosch which increases transparency. Toyota, however, uses a proprietary system which means that their data can only be shared and analyzed with their permission or by court mandate.

Event Data Recorders

In the Aug. 23, 2006 issue of “CNN Money,” Peter Valdes-Dapena explained that black boxes, which are also called event data recorders (EDR), can be found in most new cars. In fact, the NHTSA requires that car manufacturers tell owners in their manuals if an EDR is present.

Unlike an airliner black box an EDR does not record voices, but it does record what was going on with a car the few seconds before and after an accident. That information may be just enough to help investigators determine exactly what caused an accident.

New York Accident

In the Jan. 27, 2010 issue of the Syracuse “Post-Standard,” accident investigators were eager to get at one particular black box as a result of a fatal November 2009 accident in Auburn, N.Y. That car, a 2010 Toyota Camry, raced out of control injuring the Toyota’s driver, while killing a driver who was hit by the runaway Toyota.

That investigation has been delayed because NHTSA intervention is necessary to get Toyota to release its black box data.

Resources

The Wall Street Journal: Toyota Woes Put Focus on Black Box

Auto Safety Rules We Embrace

Every car built or sold in the United States must comply with rigorous federal government requirements, including auto safety rules, which are designed to improve the safety of vehicle occupants. A number of federal agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are involved as well as industry associations tasked with overseeing compliance or enforcement of government mandates.

Several of the auto safety rules go back many decades and include features common in most passenger cars today including the following five measures:

Booster seats are one of the many auto safety rules enacted down through the years.

Seat Safety — Initially finding their way into cars during the 1960s, followed by legislation mandating that seat belts be included in every passenger vehicle soon thereafter, it wasn’t until the 1990s that states in the U.S. began to mandate their use. Seat belt technology has improved over the years to include shoulder harnesses and are considered to be one of the best ways for you to avoid serious injury in the event of a crash. Consider a car offering active head restraint technology to maximize safety.

Passenger Protection — Long resisted by major automobile manufacturers, air bag technology has been available since the early 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1989 that a passive air bag was required for drivers. By 1998, that auto safety rule was extended to the front occupant, the first time dual front airbags were found in passenger vehicles. Ensure your safety by purchasing a vehicle with frontal and side curtain airbags offered.

Electronic Stability Control — Designed to detect and minimize skids, a vehicle electronic stability control (ESC) system minimizes oversteer and understeer while automatically providing braking to each wheel. The net effect is that drivers have a much better chance to maintain vehicle control. Auto safety rules reveal that effective 2012 all passenger cars sold in the United States must come equipped with ESC, however you need not wait – ESC is optional equipment on most cars today.

Crash Testing — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a non-profit agency funded by America’s automotive insurance companies. The IIHS is tasked with running four tests on cars to help determine their auto safety compliance including: frontal offset impact test, side impact test, rear crash test protection/head restraint ratings, and roof strength test. The IIHS issues scores for each car which helps set insurance rates; visit their website to learn which cars pass muster.

Booster Seats — Imagine driving down the road without your child sitting in a booster seat. Or, suppose your child is in a booster seat where he or she is riding in an unapproved seat. As cited by The Auto Writer regarding IIHS determination of booster seat safety, “The main problem for the boosters that aren’t recommended is they leave the lap belt partially or fully on the abdomen. Fit is important because a correctly positioned lap belt loads pelvic bones during a crash, not the abdomen.” Check IIHS ratings to see which seats are safest.

Lives Preserved

It is hard to imagine a time when vehicle safety measures weren’t as stringent as they are today. Thankfully, changes have been made which have helped to preserve lives as well as minimize injuries.