Raise your hand if you are familiar with those black boxes that have become standard inside United States airliners. If you actually raised your hand, keep in mind that I can’t see it, but I have some interesting news for you. For those of you who don’t know what a ‘black box’ is, it is also known as an ‘Event Data Recorder’ or ERD, and it’s job is to record the events leading up to an accident in order to understand its cause. Believe it or not, the vast majority of new cars being sold in the United States are being fitted with them, and this could give judges a new piece of evidence in personal injury lawsuits in Illinois.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new stipulations will make EDRs mandatory in all “cars and trucks that are required to have front airbags” starting on September 1st of next year. Our attorneys read that the black boxes will be responsible for collecting specific information in the minutes before a car accident such as:
• Vehicle Speed • Engine Throttle Position