Black Boxes in 2006 model Rams?

[mwhals]

Do the 2006 model Dodge Rams have the black box integrated into the wiring to collect speeds, breaking, steering, ect. so the data can be used during accident investigations?



They are mandatory to be in all vehicles by 2011.



What do you guys think about having black box recorders in your vehicles?



Mark H

 

[KParsons]

i hope not. big brother is too close all ready. kp

 

[SHobbs]

As long as they are used for accident investigations I have no problem with it. Now if the insurance companies tried to use that information against you or cancelled you because of the info found then I'd say no. I have read that most vehicles allready have this feature and the data is stored only for a short time and that the insurance companies can get it if they want to.

 

[DieselFiend]

Uhhhhh, I don't like that at all. Thats BS. I can't believe that would be mandatory. WOW, i guess I won't be buying a new vehicle in the future.

 

[Tinman]

I thought most vehicles that had air bags have the black box. I'm sure the 06 has'm. I don't like it at all. I feel the information is your property and can only be used by the state if a search warrant is obtained. Kinda of a tricky issue because the software is property of the manufacturer. I wonder if there is a devise that can be used to corrupt the data?? If you think this is bad, there are plenty of bureaucrats that would love to see mandatory GPS so that road taxes could be applied fairly by keeping up with the mileage you drive. Then tax you based on how much you drive. I don't think I have to explain the implications of that.

 

[OHale]

Two winters ago the Governor was being driven by one of his bodyguards up I-295 in a snowstorm. The roadway had ice and snow on it and the speed limit had been reduced to 45 mph (they activate a flashing sign. ) The bodyguard lost control of the vehicle, hit another car and some bystander-trees, gave himself and the Governor a concussion plus other fun.



A big Chinese Fire Drill ensues and all the cops showed up, including a State Police accident investigator. The investigator asks the bodyguard (also a state cop) how fast he was going. 55 mph is the reply (the dry pavement speed is 65. ) The accident investigator agreed with the speed stated by the bodyguard.



Anyway, they did download the black box which was standard on the Suburban, most likely at the request of the taxpayer's insurance company. It told another story: 71 mph before the airbags popped. Black box 1, 'professional courtesy' zero.



So, I'm not for Big Brother either but in this case I got a good chuckle out of it... .

 

[smartineau]

tinman,



I saw on the news a while back that Portland or Multnomah County, OR is doing the GPS experiment with something like 100 volunteer to track my every move people.



It is coming, so vote appropriatly.



steve

 

[2broke2smoke]

yes they do have it ... read about it when i was looking for info on the sat radio

 

[wtfd6]

OBD3 is supposed to have communications with state agencys for purpose of emmisions problems. when a vehicle is malfunctioning it will send out a signal. then you get a notice in the mail telling you to service your vehicle. I dont know when that is coming. but I think some already have it. I havent heard anything about it in a while. it came up in a seminar I attended a couple of years ago. big brother at his best.

mark

 

[Mhannink]

well from my limited understanding the only ''black box'' we have is the obdll freeze frame data which will tell you what the conditions where when the fault acured 25 frames before and 75 after the fault. that however is the extent of the ''black box'' feature. as for the obdlll its still a long ways out probably wont see it till the 42vdc electrical systems come out its design is to have tighter emissions montiers and some more tunning electronics so we will see more power w/ better fuel milage. there has been talk of a more complex onstar setup on all obdlll systems which in my opinion onstar has too much control as it is but thats coming from a 12v man so im sure that explains a lot lol.

 

[HGreen]

I recall reading somewhere that they are required to notify you if the vehicle has a black box. I recall seeing this on a Cadilac that I saw in a showroom.

 

[Hoefler]

On-Star equipped vehicles have had this since they came out. :--)

 

[HGreen]

Just saw this in the Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch --- Interesting article on the subject.



http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...&cid=1149190106883&path=!news&s=1045855934842

 

[Kry226]

It told another story: 71 mph before the airbags popped. Black box 1, 'professional courtesy' zero.

If you hit ice and tires begin to slip, your wheels could easily see 70 mph or even faster when the actual speed of the vehicle is less. That's why all factors need to be taken into account when reading the box.

 

[Tinman]

This topic came up on a talk radio show and a caller said he was working on a system to defeat an On Star type system when that become mandatory. Just one more reason (besides emissions) that I may never by another vehicle if I can help it. Gonna take good care of my CTD.

 

[OHale]

If you hit ice and tires begin to slip, your wheels could easily see 70 mph or even faster when the actual speed of the vehicle is less. That's why all factors need to be taken into account when reading the box.

That issue did come up in the article. GM weighed in on the subject and said that this vehicle was equipped with stability control so the wheels woudn't spin, at least not fast or long enough to be identified by the recorder. So, wheel spin wasn't a factor in this case. GM validated the 71 mph speed as actual.



BTW, it also showed the Governor wasn't wearing his seat belt... .

 

[WAHarrison]

The owners manual that came with my 06, states that it will record 2 seconds of data following the deployment of the air bags. If the air bags do no go off, a low speed crash, no data is recorded.

 

[CDonaldson]

Here in NM your vehicle is like your house, and your privacy is your privacy, so I would go on to think that the black box data is yours. I could be wrong, but at minimum you would have to give consent. As far as the 'big brother is watching stuff' YOU BET! I read an article that suggested by 2010-11 every vehicle will be equipped with ignition/computer systems that can id the vehicle by sattelite and take over its controls. I guess some car thief will get a computer controlled/GPS controlled/ride to the nearest police station? I would like to see someone develope a bypass system to our computer systems. A plug-n-play type of thing that would enable them when some energy problem shuts them down - like scalar technology weapons. There are certain frequencies that are capable of jamming our systems and we are road kill if/when that happens. At minimum we need some type of shielding from this stuff down the line as those weapons are going to be the choice of the future.



CD