Many car accidents could have been prevented if the causes of road accidents could be analyzed more thoroughly. It would seem that one of the easiest ways to do this is to install a "black box" in every car, like those found on airplanes.
Aviation black box
"Black box" is a system for registering and recording data on the technical condition of an aircraft, readings of measuring instruments at a given point in time, as well as recording the crew's conversations. In fact, this "box" is usually spherical and bright orange in color. A tape recorder and a system for recording instrument readings are placed in the strongest shell made of heat-resistant titanium alloys. In the event of a plane crash, it is often the data of the black boxes that are the only way to determine the causes of the incident. In addition to being strong enough, black boxes are also located in the least vulnerable parts of the aircraft. This increases the likelihood of data being saved in the event of an accident. Flight recorders, like any aviation equipment, are very expensive as they must meet the highest requirements.
Even the ideal security of an aircraft black box does not always save you from losing data in a plane crash. For example, a box may spontaneously open upon impact, and all information will be destroyed by fire.
Should I put a recorder in my car?
As for cars, the installation of exactly the same black boxes would be pointless already because the cause of an accident is most often the human factor, and the technical condition of the car leads to accidents much less often. In addition, there is no need to record the conversations between the driver and passengers, and the voice recording of an aircraft's black box often carries the most important information.
In most cases, a road traffic accident occurs under the influence of a complex of external factors, and not internal ones, therefore, to analyze the causes of a particular car accident, it is much more important to have data on the traffic situation, the state of all participants in the accident, weather, visibility. In reality, the DVR copes with this much better, the recording of which makes it possible to assess the reasons that led to the disaster. Of course, the video recorder is much more vulnerable than the flight recorder, but, on the other hand, not all accidents lead to the complete destruction of the car and the impossibility of restoring the picture of the incident.
Although the vehicle registrar data is believed to be the property of the owner of the vehicle, many insurance companies require access to it when taking out insurance.
Nevertheless, all new cars produced in the United States of America are equipped with a kind of flight recorders (black boxes) without fail, since, according to experts, this helps to reduce the number of car accidents. Such a black box records the speed of the car before the accident, the force of pressing the gas and brake pedals, and the use of the seat belt by the driver. Also, statistics are kept on the number of accidents and the intervals between them. Americans react ambiguously to the initiative of officials, as they are worried about the safety of personal data.
