AutoEvolution.com: Motorcycle Black Box Data Remains Private, Lawmakers Propose

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seanhaight
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AutoEvolution.com: Motorcycle Black Box Data Remains Private, Lawmakers Propose

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http://www.autoevolution.com/news/motor ... 80091.html
US Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) seem to be more concerned about actually doing their job and working closer to the ones who voted for them, and in their benefit, as the two have proposed a very reasonable amendment to the Driver Privacy Act. Their proposal is still pending approval, but it aims to make all data collected by the Event Data Recorder (EDR) also referred to as “black boxes” really private.

The existing Driver Privacy Act referred only to passenger and multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses, required to have such a black box installed, but the new amendment includes motorcycles, while the biggest “upgrade” is that the law deems all collected data as private and the property to the lawful owner of the vehicle.

Such collected data is proposed to only available by court order or by the request of an administrative authority with the proper jurisdiction. Even more, in order for other entities to gain access to this information, proof that it can be admitted as evidence must be provided.

This adds a bit more privacy to the personal life in an era when privacy becomes more and more a premium item. While motorcycles are not required to have EDR modules, some of the new models have such loggers installed. The proposed amendment may also apply to vehicles whose owners chose to install EDR units on.

Now, not sure how much this law will in fact protect such data, but it will certainly make it harder for the state ti gain access to it and use it for tracking individuals and other purposes. When investigating accidents and other criminal causes, such data may indeed prove useful in establishing culpability, but it looks like the law is helping individuals conserve their 4th Amendment rights, too.
Sean Haight, PhD

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