Te Heuheu Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 Dear Mr....... Thank you for contacting me to express your thoughts about recording devices in motorcycles. I appreciate hearing from you and I understand American motorcyclists enjoy the culture of freedom and independence that biking represents. As you may know, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require event data recorders, also known as black boxes, to be installed in all vehicles made after 2014 in support of traffic safety programs. I recognize your concerns that an event data recorder may invade on your right to privacy and that this data may be used to increase your vehicle insurance rates. As you may know, Congressman Michael Capuano introduced a bill, the Black Box Privacy Protection Act, to require vehicle manufacturers to disclose the presence of black boxes in new vehicles and allow vehicle owners control over the black box and its data. We must be sure to balance safety needs and a rider's right to privacy. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind should this bill come before me for a vote. I remain optimistic that we can make Congress work for the American people and find common ground to move our country forward. Democracy works best when we stay in touch, so please visit bera.house.gov/signup to get updates on how I'm working for you. Be well, Ami Bera, M.D.Member of Congress P.S. Listening to you is my most important responsibility. I hope you will continue our conversation by taking my constituent survey at bera.house.gov/survey so I can learn more about your priorities and better represent you and your family in Congress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toycar10 Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 Ahh our elected officials at work they cant pass a budget but they can pass stuid shit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Ahearn Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 Does this mean that the 2014 Indians that we buy in 2013 are exempt because its not 2014 yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 thought it said AFTER 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallRider Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Join the AMA. If you want to influence legislation that affects us all as riders, join the American Motorcycle Association who lobbies on your behalf whether it's issues like black boxes, or motorcycle only traffic stops, or increasing ethanol blend to 15%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indian T Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 fuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Mark Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 fuck What Tony said. Our elected dipshits at work. (Not.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Ahearn Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I just might have to paint my black box Springfield Blue to match the bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhorse Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 He said black box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tahoe Chief Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Be the first thing I yank off the bike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Te Heuheu Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 (edited) An article from National Motorist Ass., The info still applies to all black boxes or Electronic Data Recorder. Whose Data Is It Anyway? By Steve Purdy, Michigan Activist Somewhere under your hood or under the seat of your car there may be a little black box, called a vehicle data recorder, saving data. Not data that would likely be of interest to you but it might be of great interest to the manufacturer of your car, to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or some other government entity (including a court of law). The problem is, you don't even know it's there and the data could be used against you. A panel of experts assembled in Southfield, Michigan to discuss this emerging controversy. Moderated by Car And Driver Editor Csaba Csere, the panel consisted of an information technology attorney, an insurance company executive, a Michigan State Police accident scene investigator, and an auto industry safety alliance executive. The device in question is a tad bigger than a pack of cigarettes and it's not in all cars. It only records about five seconds of data when your air bag either goes off or thinks about going off. For now, most record just a few tidbits of information like change in speed, throttle position, braking application, and seat belt use. So the question is, if your vehicle is recording data about your driving, who owns that data? Will there be more data collected as automotive systems become more sophisticated? Can that data be used to prosecute or exonerate you in case of an accident? How will the use of that data be regulated? The consensus among the panel members is that the recording devises are here to stay and, at least so far, the owner of the automobile owns the data. What if someone other than the owner is driving during a crash, for example a renter, lessee, or fleet driver? There are issues of self incrimination and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure as well as other privacy issues that will need to be addressed as the technology advances. There are already plenty of vehicles equipped with GPS capabilities in addition to the black boxes and that may exacerbate the controversy. It was also agreed that it is likely, in fact inevitable, that more and more data will be recorded. Current technology would easily accommodate tons more information. NHTSA could easily require the collection of data useful to them, and other government agencies could too, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General. Now there's a scary thought! The State Police investigator insisted that they do not, and will not, access the data without a search warrant and they will not use the data to replace accident scene reconstruction, only to support what they've found by other means. The data could be crucial evidence in a trial. If you're thinking you might somehow be able to erase data or destroy the recorder, just remember that the presumption will then go against you. The sergeant also indicated that as they go through the data, any error found negates the entire data set. And watch out for your insurance company. Most, but not all, policies essentially give your insurance company the right to the data by way of a clause that states you agree to "cooperate" or "assist" in settling a claim. California has addressed the issue but without providing much protection for the motorist by allowing access only with the owner's permission or a court order. Well, the owner's permission can be presumed either by the insurance policy clause referenced above or it could easily become an implied consent as a condition of having a driver's license. A court order wouldn't be hard to get in any event. Consider the potential of such technology. What if your speed could be transmitted by Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity-AKA wireless internet) automatically to a waiting trooper? Or how about renewing your driver's license, having the clerk plug into the data system of your car and then hitting you with charges for all the violations your car's black box has been able to record for the past year? Certainly, those are exaggerations but just think what could be done with all the data your car could collect on you. Because it is integrated with the airbag system, disabling or removing the device is probably not an option. Whether the recording and controlling functions can be separated is not clear. What is clear is that we had better keep an eye on this issue. Edited October 1, 2013 by Te Heuheu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toycar10 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Wouldn't George Orwell be proud. Another reason to ride older machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWER STROKE Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 SRS systems only record in the event of a crash. PCM, ECU, ABS, TCM data along with KAM can be cleared with a scan tool. In the event of power or ground disconnect, all stored data is lost. SRS systems have an internal power source as backup, therefore data is saved. However, if the module is destroyed, it's data is useless. Much ado about nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRat Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Systems like OnStar are not quite as benign as you describe above and GM is not the only company using such systems. They track virtually everything about the vehicle and upload it to OnStar. They track thousands and thousands of datapoints on every car, whether you have it activated on your end or not. It's not much ado about nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWER STROKE Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Systems like OnStar are not quite as benign as you describe above and GM is not the only company using such systems. They track virtually everything about the vehicle and upload it to OnStar. They track thousands and thousands of datapoints on every car, whether you have it activated on your end or not. It's not much ado about nothing. I am not talking about needless add-ons such as OnStar, Ford Sync, and such. Even with complimentary subscribtions to get you in the door, they only last so long, and then you have to pay, so don't. And if that isn't good enough, disconnect them, they are not critical to vehicle operation. I am only speaking to the multifunction modules (and really, the only ones that matter) that are contained in each and every vehicle since the late '90s. This type of "Big Brother" is watching blather has existed since that decade, and only in a handfull of cases (usually involving vehicular death) has the vehicle info been used or even retrievable. Personally, I'd be more concerned about CCTV, photoradar, and my own personal behavior, than modules in or on any of my vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasbin Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Did we have to bring "personal behavior" into the discussion, thats NEVER a good sign when I'm involved, Let me go on record now that I am already ashamed of my behavior before I even misbehave because I know it's gonna happen... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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