You may have heard about black boxes, which are a piece of technology that record flight data. These black boxes are basically indestructible, and are recoverable after even the worst crashes. A large number of accidents are hearsay, and without a huge range of witnesses, insurance investigators have to do a lot of research to find out the real cause of a crash. If black box technology were to be incorporated into vehicle insurance, it could land up saving the insurance companies a lot of time and hassle, and thus result in a smoother claim process!
Although its name indicates otherwise, a black box is not black, but normally orange. This makes it easier to find in the debris after an accident. A black box can also be called a flight data recorder. Its outermost shell is usually made of steel or titanium, which is able to survive intense impact. The second layer of the black box is insulated, to waterproof the data capturer, whilst protecting it from heat and fire. Because of its hardy layers, the black box is very likely to survive in accidents.
The question now is, with a few alterations, how can a black box be utilized in a motor vehicle as opposed to its functionality in an airplane? It could be slightly expensive to implement, but it could be invaluable with regards to car insurance. It can also help car manufacturers to improve on vehicle faults that lead to accidents. First of all, the black box will be able to record the speed that the driver was travelling at the time of the accident. This will assist the insurance company in determining whether the accident was driver recklessness or not. Speeding is a great contributor in many collisions.
A black box will be able to record what pedals and other mechanisms were used in the vehicle in the moments leading up the accident. This will help to distinguish between driver error or a mechanical malfunction.
It is obvious that a black box would be invaluable to car insurance companies.