Claims News Service, August 18, 4:50 p.m. EDT — For the first time, automakers now must inform future new-car buyers via owner's manual if an event data recorder (EDR) has been installed under a new rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The new federal rule takes effect starting with model year 2011 cars and could have insurance claim implications.
Event Data Recorders are electronic devices that capture crash data in the few seconds before, during and after a crash. EDRs do not capture any data unless there is a collision that is severe enough to cause the airbag to deploy. While automakers are not required to install EDRs, approximately 64 percent of the model year 2005 passenger vehicles came equipped with the device. This new rule will not require automakers to install EDRs if they are not already doing so.
The agency noted that having access to uniform crash information from EDRs, regardless of the vehicle's manufacturer, will help investigators recreate crash scenes to determine the causes. The rule will support the development of new safety regulations based on accurate crash information that NHTSA collects from vehicle owners who agree to share information from their EDRs with the agency.
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