Starting next July, all new cars sold in Europe must be equipped with one of the ADAS driving assistance systems that until now only have some vehicles. This is the EDR system (event data recorder), popularly known as a black box, a device similar to the one fitted to all airplanes that records and stores information about the operation of the vehicle and the events that may occur. while driving.
The black box, which in the case of airplanes is usually orange so that it can be found more easily in the event of an accident, is one of the ADAS systems that will be mandatory in all new vehicles sold in the European Union from July. This element is added to other mandatory ADAS that have been gradually incorporated into newly homologated cars. Among them are the intelligent speed assistant (ISA), the cross traffic alert (RCTA) or the involuntary lane departure warning (LDW), among others.
The introduction of the black box in new cars is due to European Union regulations, supported by community authorities, who see this device as a fundamental tool to strengthen road safety. Its main function is to collect information about the vehicle and its occupants, recording and storing data in real time that allows us to know what happened before, during and after an accident.
The EDR system monitors more than 15 variables while the vehicle is in motion. It includes aspects such as speed, braking, engine revolutions, steering movements and accelerator position.
In addition, the black box provides information on the response of the vehicle's safety systems (airbag and seat belts), as well as on the activation of the e-Call emergency call system, which is mandatory in all newly approved vehicles since 2018. This last component is evaluated during the Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) since November 2023.
The EDR system, which is already used to analyze the operation of airbags, is integrated into their control unit, normally under the driver's seat. It does not record images or audio and the data, both from the car and the occupants, are anonymous.
The device records all the car's parameters during the 30 seconds before the accident and the five afterward. It is not used to resolve guilt in an accident, but it is used to analyze the causes of the accident, which for traffic authorities can be of great help to improve road safety.
The black box also provides a deeper understanding of injury thresholds, helping to improve passive safety by better understanding the causes and associated physical damage. In addition, it becomes a valuable tool in the legal field in the reconstruction of accidents and for specific applications related to road safety, as well as in the fight against violations.
