Wednesday, November 04, 2009
EU wants aircraft-style black boxes in all cars
The European Union is drawing up plans for £500 aircraft-style black box recorders to be fitted into all cars to help the police identify who is responsible for crashes.
A £2.4 million three-year study by the EU has recommended the mandatory installation of the boxes in all cars. The boxes are fitted behind the dashboard or under the floor and are connected to sensors that monitor a vehicle's movements.
The boxes would record 20 types of vehicle data, including speed, the car's most recent movements and whether the driver braked or indicated.
The information would be used by police and insurance firms to reconstruct crashes and determine who was at fault. It could then be used in court cases.
Researchers also believe the technology will improve safety. The study, called Project Veronica, found drivers with black boxes in their cars were 10% less likely to be involved in a fatal accident, and their repair bills fell by as much as 25%.
The EU says that any decision on whether and how to adopt the technology would be left to individual member states.
However, a spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "The technology raises serious privacy and legal issues and we have no plans to introduce these devices."
DATED: 04.11.09
FEED: AW
