Crash Data Retrieval
EDR data can be used for accident investigation
Vehicle’s fitted with air bag modules will routinely store information regarding what triggered air bags to deploy in accidents.
Legislation in the US has made it mandatory for this data to be stored for vehicles manufactured from about 2015 onwards, that legislation included a requirement for a method to retrieve that data.
Some manufacturers simply don’t sell their cars in the US, or only certain models. Those models that are sold and have this data must either make a ‘download tool’ available or use a third party tool to enable the downloading of the data.
As such Bosch have created a Crash Data Retrieval [CDR] tool.
Some of the manufacturers have only made available their data in the US, others have made the data available worldwide.
CompassAI are trained and authorised to download and analyse this data. Unfortunately, many vehicles we examine fall outside the range of vehicles on the compatible list.
Not all police forces have the capability to download this data yet.
On the occasions when data is downloaded it is likely to include the speed of the vehicle for at least 5 seconds before an impact was recognised by the air bag module. It will include the acceleration of the vehicle during the impact pulse, at least in the longitudinal direction [forwards / rearwards]. It may also contain other information including steering applied, yaw angle, brake and brake force applications, seat belts, gear and engine revolutions.
The amount and type of data available will vary from make to make, and across individual models and years.
If the data is obtained it will, of course be invaluable to a reconstruction and could make the difference as to whether a case is “won” or “lost”.
For any future instructions CompassAI will, once the make, model and year of any vehicles are known, include the download within the estimate if the car is in the compatible vehicles list.
