Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeGuy
Aren't cars made during the past 10 years (and moreso 5 years) supposed
to have sophisticated "black-box" data logging systems that record a lot
of what's going on with the car (steering wheel movements, braking,
speed, etc) compared to 10+ years ago?
So much more logging that it's become standard practice for cops to have
sophisticated data recovery tools sold to them by third-party equipment
makers with slick marketing that tells cops that there's valuable
evidence just waiting for them at crash scenes?
If so, then it should be a simple matter to know the state of the
ignition switch or airbags prior to, say, loss of main battery bus or
engine RPM offscale or zero (the loss of either one being the indicator
of impact damage in progress).
|
I never heard of that, but I haven't been looking to buy a new car. But, even if newer cars have such systems, that system might not monitor the car's key position because the system would presumably only work while the car is running, and in that case the key position is known without a black box to record it. It would only be a recorded parameter if the manufacturer expected the key position could change DURING a crash that they would bother to monitor it, but considering that turning the key off or to the accessory position could disable the air bags, that doesn't hold much water either because they should design the switch so that it doesn't turn no matter how violent the crash or no matter how much stuff is on the key chain.
The thing is that air bags are a life saving accessory. GM should have tested how the air bag deployment would be affected by people that have lots of stuff on their key chains. I know my father used to keep all kinds of stuff on his key chain, including a tiny flash light, a rabbit's foot and a small jack knife, and that's besides all the keys. I expect there are people with even more stuff than that.