Citation

Jamieson J, Gillies N. Transp. Eng. Aust. 2007; 11(1): 31-36.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Engineers Australia)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In 2004/2005, the American Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) developed a new standard that suggests that event data recorders (EDRs) should collect up to 8 seconds of data prior to a crash occurring. The standard also suggests that the computer network from which the data is collected possess some degree of "crashworthiness" - a characteristic that is currently not required. There has been extensive research on the reliability of pre-crash data using this technology. The consensus from that research is that the EDR data are "mostly" correct - but are not necessarily so. The research emphasises that if such data are to be used for law enforcement purposes, a full forensic investigation be undertaken first - collecting friction measurements, skid mark lengths, crush damage and so on. After calculations are produced using these "manual" processes, then the EDR data can be downloaded and interrogated. The primary purpose of such a methodology is to ensure that any results of the crash analysis obey fundamental laws of Newtonian physics. The consensus of the research is that downloading the data first then undertaking the (more subjective) forensic analysis would bias any subsequent investigation.

Language: en