As cars become more computerized and become more connected, behind the scenes is that they are collecting mass of data more on about us, and more on our habits. Sounds scary, eh? But who can access the information? How much data that my car gets access to?
When you own a modern car, not the ‘Mr. Bean’ type cars and his gals, it knows where you are, and is been tracking your habit ever since when it first came under your care. It may even call for help when you are in crash. The whole concept is revolutionary and potentially lifesaving, but this is no concept, it already manifested in reality. Computers are scattered around the car to do mundane tasks – e.g. starting of the engine and transmission, operation of the windows, etc., and the computers governing these tasks don’t have a storage capability. However, the air-bag deployment controller is way different as it contains a component called the event data recorder (EDR), which monitors networks of sensors in the vehicle for signs of crash and stores right away in a few seconds of data stream, dumping and refreshing information constantly. Types of information that is being collected by the EDR generally comprises of the throttle and brake pedal position, the vehicle’s rational velocity, speed, and impact- sensor data. This type of information is saved permanently following an air-bag deployment which can be accessed through OBD-II port by using special equipment that is solely used by technician.
EDRs had been circulating the car industry since 1990s and have been standardized recently by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and it means that it is a required equipment of every car beginning this year 2013.
Most navigation systems are separate from a car’s computer system and cannot track one’s location. The navigation system, on the other hand, relies on the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is a one-way data stream. Your car may know where on earth you are, but nobody can track it via the GPS link, and worst, no location is stored in your EDR.
The car technology got a 360 turn around when cellular connections had been added. Cars are now equipped with telematics systems such as OnStar or Hyundai Blue Link which has a two-way links which relay the GPS data. These means the operators have the ability to see where you are, and how fast you are going. They can also track and remotely disable a car that has been stolen. But these of course are only available with the permission of the driver.
There things that comes good, but there is always an equivalent and opposite result. If you are new car owner, you can do not much about it. Advice though is to pay close attention to the language of the user agreement of the telematics service. With EDRs, it is simply enough to know your rights.
