Carmakers Are Using Black Boxes To Investigate Crashes
When a multi-car accident takes place in Connecticut, it can sometimes be difficult for investigators to determine who was at fault. Some drivers might lie about what happened in a crash to avoid criminal charges or civil liability while others may not know what went wrong. Now, modern vehicle technology could take some of the guesswork out of car accident investigations.
Car manufacturers like Tesla Motors are now logging driving data on event data recorders that can be examined later on if there is an accident. While there are several vehicle manufacturers using these black boxes, Tesla appears to be leading the way. Its vehicles are constantly connected to the Internet, sending detailed driving data from each car back to the manufacturer.
In June, Tesla driving data was used to determine what happened in a one-car accident. Though the driver of a Tesla Model X SUV claimed that his vehicle had abruptly accelerated by itself, Tesla Motors said that its data shows otherwise. Before the man drove into a building, Tesla says that pressure on the accelerator pedal was suddenly increased to 100 percent. Right now, about one-quarter of new cars have black boxes similar to the devices used by Tesla.
Car crash victims who are seeking compensation for their injuries may be able to use a vehicle’s black box as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit. An attorney representing an injured plaintiff can add this information to other evidence such as eyewitness testimony and the police investigation report when attempting to demonstrate that another motorist’s negligence was the cause of the collision.