So far the introduction of the black box into the trucking industry has been overwhelmingly positive. Since black boxes have become an industry standard, road safety and accident investigations for trucking have grown by leaps and bounds. This pivotal piece of safety technology has exceeded expectations of the difference it might make. So what is a black box?
This and many more conversations concerning trucking safety and accident prevention can be explored with your area Las Vegas truck accident lawyer. As personal injury legal specialists who focus on trucking, they’re uniquely qualified to help you keep your knowledge of trucking safety up to date. That includes but isn't limited to bringing you up to speed on what a black box is.
Why Is The Black Box Important?
Black boxes are also known as event data recorders (EDR) or electronic control modules (ECM). Their sole purpose is to record and protect all data related to a truck's operation. There is no piece of relevant data that a black box doesn’t capture. So the speed, engine RPM, brake usage, throttle position, and more are all noted by the black box when trucks are operational.
The importance of black boxes is that they have provided landmark breakthroughs in how and why truck accidents occur. In the aftermath of such an event, it’s the black box that often holds the clues to what took place and why. Before black boxes, the causes of such events were left up to inferior means of deduction, which were flawed by inaccuracies and rampant corruption.
Black Box and Truck Accidents
With their grand size and scale, the fallout from truck accidents has remained unmatched on our roads. Injuries, fatalities, property damage, and economic losses are greater when trucks are involved. Over time, the data uncovered from black boxes has contributed greatly to the development of accident prevention, training advancements, and even in the legislative arena.
Black boxes revolutionized trucking safety. Trucking authorities and experts have been empowered with certain truths about trucking accidents that were once beyond them. Black box data has cleared up many prior misconceptions about liability, how safety hazards affect road safety, and which measures are more effective for prevention. The impact has been remarkable.
Obtaining Data From A Truck’s Black Box
Access to the data in a truck’s black box is highly coveted. Law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, and legal specialists often collaborate with forensic experts to piece together the events of an accident with black box data. The techniques and results that have been developed out of these collaborations have gradually become the industry standard.
Regulations regarding the preservation and extraction of EDR data are subject to jurisdiction. Therefore, the legal protocols and standards that help determine what evidence can be used in investigations and the admissibility of evidence in truck accidents aren’t fixed. However, as the relationship between this technology and the trucking industry continues to advance, legal professionals will become more accustomed to using this technology to protect victims.
