Black Boxes in Motor Vehicles
Tuesday, July 9th, 2002 Auto TechnologyThe key role that flight data recorders play in reconstructing airplane crashes is common knowledge. Now, similar black box technology can help car crash investigations. Most cars, trucks, and vans have recorded information in the event of a crash since the introduction of air bag systems. Until recently, however, this information could only be accessed by the vehicle manufacturer and was of little use in reconstructing an accident. With the commercial introduction of an interface device by Vetronix, investigators can download useful crash data from most 1996 and newer General Motors vehicles. In GM vehicles, crash data is saved in the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM). The SDM is a small box, typically bolted to the floor under the right front seat. The primary function of the SDM is to control the air bags in the event of a crash.
