TRL calls for EU crash data law update

TRL is calling for an update to UK and EU automotive legislation to allow police, insurers and road safety researchers access to event data recorder (EDR) information. EDR is the equivalent of a black box that records a range of data from safety systems fitted to the vehicle in the seconds before, during and after a collision. The data helps provide information on the actions taken before a crash – which TRL says will be vital in understanding what an autonomous vehicle or its safety driver were doing j
August 29, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

491 TRL is calling for an update to UK and EU automotive legislation to allow police, insurers and road safety researchers access to event data recorder (EDR) information.

EDR is the equivalent of a black box that records a range of data from safety systems fitted to the vehicle in the seconds before, during and after a collision. The data helps provide information on the actions taken before a crash – which TRL says will be vital in understanding what an autonomous vehicle or its safety driver were doing just before an accident, for example.

Dean Beaumont, accident reconstruction consultant for TRL’s expert witness team, says EDR provides a more accurate investigation into road collisions, specifically regarding “causation and liability”.

“In the UK and EU, manufacturers are slowly allowing access to this data, but this only applies to a very small number of vehicles,” he continues. “Sharing of EDR data should not be placed above lives in serious and fatal collisions.”

Enforcement

Related Content

  • Auto-braking cars: government should meet motorists halfway
    March 25, 2014
    A UK Government incentive for drivers buying cars with anti-crash technology would save 60 lives and result in 760 fewer serious casualties reported to the police, in just three years. Over ten years, such an incentive would save 1,220 lives and nearly 136,000 casualties, according to Thatcham Research, the insurance industry’s automotive research centre. At a briefing seeking support from senior politicians, health organisations, insurers and vehicle manufacturers at the House of Commons today, Peter S
    Read More
  • In-vehicle fleet management system reduces losses
    May 4, 2012
    Loomis offers products and services that provide complete cash logistics solutions for financial institutions, retailers and other commercial enterprises. The company is present in twelve European countries and the USA and has just over 20,000 employees. At Loomis safety is considered good business. Presented with the opportunity to reduce both accident frequency and associated primary liability costs, the company equipped the majority of its US armoured truck and van fleet with the Driver Safety Measuremen
    Read More
  • Assessing the potential of in-vehicle enforcement systems
    December 4, 2012
    Jason Barnes considers the social and ethical ramifications of using in-vehicle safety technologies to fulfil enforcement functions. Although policy documents often imply close correlation between enforcement, compliance and safety – in part, as a counter to accusations that enforcement is rather more concerned with revenue generation – there is a noticeable reluctance among policy makers and auto manufacturers to exploit in-vehicle safety systems for enforcement applications. From a technical perspective t
    Read More
  • Funding secured for TRL’s Data Sustains Life project
    January 30, 2025
    Research body will collaborate on collision data to improve road safety
    Read More

Highlighted Content