Q: I thought I heard somewhere that there is a “black box” type device in some cars. First of all, is this true? Second, will someone, including the government, be able to track my personal history?
— W. Diggs, Via the Internet
Event data recorders (EDRs), commonly know as “black boxes,” have indeed been installed in automobiles — including those from General Motors and Ford (among others) — since the early 1990s, according to Vetronix Corp., (www.vetronix.com) one of the manufacturers of such devices. These devices were initially introduced as a safety measure, recording information such as vehicle and engine speed, brake and airbag status, and vehicle impact time in the event of a car crash.
Although they have also proven useful to insurance companies and police officers investigating auto accidents, the devices have generated some controversy because of privacy
incontent-ad3">For a list of automobiles that feature the Vetronix “black box,” visit www.vetronix.com/diagnostics/cdr/vehicle _list.html. You can also contact your auto dealer to find out whether your car has such a device.