Event Data Recorders - EDR and Black Box Downloads

Having access to the black box data from each vehicle involved in an accident is critical in accident reconstruction cases. These devices are installed on the majority of vehicles produced today and in many vehicles dating back to around 1994. Most vehicle dealerships and repair centers do not have the computer software or the experience and training required to download all of this critical data and many do not even know that this data exists. Bloomberg Consulting has acquired and is trained and experienced in using all of the computer software that is commercially available to download this black box crash data from passenger vehicles (cars, pickups, SUV's, etc), tractor-trailers, and heavy trucks.

PASSENGER VEHICLES

"Attention! Toyota Black Box Downloads Now Available!!"

Critical information that may be downloaded from a vehicle's event data recorder, or "black box" includes Vehicle Speed, Delta-V, Brake On/Off, Percent Throttle, Seatbelt Use, Engine Speed, etc. Some of this pre-crash information is available for five to eight seconds prior to impact. Vehicle makes covered by currently available software include the following (click on the vehicle make for a sample report):

Buick	Dodge	Isuzu	Mitsubishi	Saturn
Cadillac	Ford	Jeep	Oldsmobile	Suzuki
Chevrolet	GMC	Lexus	Lincoln	Pontiac
Chrysler	Hummer	Mercury	Saab	Toyota

EDR data from most late model heavy trucks, domestic cars and light duty vehicles, as well as Toyota cars are now available for download. Download the full EDR Availability Guide here. You can also download a free version of the Bosch CDR File Reader Software to determine vehicle availability and view CDR files by clicking here. If you have questions, or would like to discuss your specific vehicles and the black box data that may be available for download, give us a call at 850-932-7613 or email us at info@bloombergconsulting.com

TRACTOR-TRAILERS/HEAVY TRUCKS

Critical information that may be downloaded from commercial vehicle or heavy truck black box includes Vehicle Speed, Brake On/Off, Percent Throttle, Engine Speed, Maximum/Governed Speed, Fault Codes (problems with the vehicle), etc. Some of this information is available for up to two minutes prior to and 15 seconds after a hard braking or heavy deceleration event. The data that is available from heavy trucks and tractor-trailers is dependent on the type and manufacturer of the engine, rather than the manufacturer of the truck itself. The engines that currently provide this "Black Box" data include the majority of engines that are on the road in the Unites States today, such as:

Detroit Diesel

Caterpillar

Mercedes

Cummins

Volvo

Mack

AFTERMARKET TRACKING SYSTEMS

In addition to the information from factory-installed EDR's, there may be information available from aftermarket tracking systems installed on many vehicles today. GPS navigation units in cars and trucks, for example, have memory cards that contain trip information, often including speed and GPS co-ordinates recorded at regular intervals. On heavy trucks, electronic vehicle locators and automatic driver logbook systems, known as Electronic On-Board Recorders or Telematics, are becoming commonplace. Besides being confirmation of a driver's duty status and hours, these systems may offer accident reporting or hard brake and other critical incident records.

Bloomberg Consulting is familiar with the data collected by aftermarket vehicle tracking systems and has developed techniques for incorporating this data into our accident analysis and reconstruction. Telematics systems from companies such as Qualcomm, Discrete Wireless, Cadec, Xata, and PeopleNet may provide GPS-based data to confirm travel speeds and driver hours of service. Radar-based systems such as VORAD can add information about both the radar-equipped vehicle and the other vehicles around it at the time of the incident. Our experienced engineers will alert you to the presence of these systems and ensure that the data is preserved, collected and incorporated into the accident analysis.

Contact us to find out what information should be available from the "black box" on a particular vehicle and/or to set up a vehicle inspection and download.