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Event Data Recorders

Event Data Recorders (EDR), commonly known as a “black boxes” were first installed in automobiles in the 1990s with the introduction of airbags and the computers needed to control them. Initially, the information stored in the EDR was only accessible to manufacturers but in 2000 the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) tool was made available to the public with compatibility with a limited number of vehicles. Today, most passenger cars are CDR compatible. Since the release of the Bosch CDR tool EDR data has taken on an increasingly important role in motor vehicle accident reconstruction. When a vehicle experiences a crash violent enough to trigger the EDR, it can create a record of the state of the vehicle just before and/or during the event. Although each vehicle is different, downloaded EDR reports commonly contain pre-crash vehicle data such as speed, accelerator, brake pedal and steering inputs, seatbelt usage, airbag deployment and other similar information. This data can then be compared to or used in conjunction with traditional accident reconstruction methods to understand how and why a crash occurred. The engineers at Technology Associates are equipped with and trained in the use of the latest Bosch CDR tool and software and are available to perform an EDR download of any Bosch compatible vehicle. We are also experienced in interpreting EDR report data and incorporating that information into our reconstruction analysis.