Surprised readers are seeking 411 on vechicular black boxes
QThe idea that my car has a black box inside to record crash data caught me as a great surprise. Why isn’t this better known?
— Frank Chu,
San Jose
ABlack boxes have been required on new vehicles since 2014 but must be listed only in driver manuals. So unless you have pored over the manual, you likely had no clue about this device that is usually located deep inside the dashboard near the steering wheel.
It is about the size of a deck of cards.
QWhat information is listed in these black boxes?
— Larry Reese, San Jose
AVehicle speed, throttle position, airbag deployment times, whether the brakes were applied, if seat belts were worn, steering angles and more. Manufacturers may also have up to 30 additional data points if they want, excluding GPS location, video and audio. Also, a black box only stores information for 20 seconds around the crash.
In 2011, Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray crashed a governmentowned vehicle on a stretch of Interstate 190. Initially, police investigating the crash did not issue any citations.
Murray initially claimed he simply lost control on the ice, wasn’t speeding, was wearing a seat belt and braked.
But those claims all later were disproven when the black-box data recorder revealed he was traveling 108 miles per hour and was not wearing a seat belt when the vehicle collided with a rock ledge and flipped over.
Murray was unhurt in the accident.
QHas the question of who has access to your car’s black-box data been settled in a court of law? And how can I periodically erase it?
— John Pearl, Walnut Creek
AThe Supreme Court requires a warrant for police and insurance companies seeking this data. But it’s next to impossible to erase this data.
QI’m soon moving to Utah. Two months ago, I purchased a new car in California. When I register my car in Utah, can I request a car registration refund from California for the unused months of registration here?
— Linda Yallech
ASorry, but the DMV does not grant refunds for this.
QThe Skyline Boulevard Highway 35 vista point north of Alpine Road has been closed since the beginning of the pandemic. People who want to look at the valley view or the sunset are parking on the shoulders in both directions. So there is really no benefit anymore to closing the vista point. Are there any plans to reopen it?
By the way, you can see the Sierras from there on exceptionally clear days.
— Bill Stock, Emerald Hills
ANot immediately, until the virus is tamed. Impressive about the view of the Sierras.