With the introduction of airbag technologies in the automotive industry in the 1970’s, event data recorders (“EDRs”) were created to serve the purpose of not only triggering air bag deployment, but also to record certain pieces of data that could later be used for diagnostic purposes and for research, testing and development.

More readily recognized as an automotive “black box,” the device, while similar to that of the recording devices found in aircraft and train locomotives, does not provide continuous recording, but instead records pre-crash and crash related data regarding the operational aspects of the vehicle with the recording beginning approximately five to twenty-five seconds prior to an airbag deployment event or an event that generates enough of a change in the velocity of the vehicle to "wake up" the airbag module’s sensing mechanism. Unlike aircraft black boxes, EDRs do not record audio or video, nor the physical location of the vehicle at the time of recording. In short, it can record enough information to assist substantially in the reconstruction of an accident, while still maintaining the privacy of the occupants.

EDR Access^TM is the leading product available nationally for the retrieval and translation of pre-crash and crash data recorded on all vehicle EDRs that are currently made accessible to the public. Today, while not all manufacturers and motor vehicle models offer public access to the motor vehicle’s EDR data, approximately one third of the motor vehicles on the road today have publicly accessible data, and beginning in 2010 and by the year 2011 (and most by 2011), all motor vehicles sold in the United States that are equipped with EDRs will be mandated by federal law to make that data available for public access.

It is estimated that by 2011 virtually every motor vehicle collision will involved at least one vehicle with publicly retrievable EDR data. In the mean time, more and more manufacturers are releasing equipment and licenses for public retrieval every year to keep with the trends and in preparation of the upcoming 2010 and 2011 deadlines. However, the equipment, knowledge and expertise for the proper removal and interpretation of such data will still be necessary for the retrieval and understanding of such data. Collision Data Services is equipped with the latest equipment, expertise and experience to provide the most reliable EDR retrieval services across the United States.

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