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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Gabrielle
A. Prutisto |
State Rep. Ted Harhai |
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Harhai: Black box legislation can help Pa. consumers
HARRISBURG, April 25 –The “Black Box” legislation proposed by state Rep. Ted Harhai, D- Westmoreland/Fayette, is one step closer to becoming law after being voted out of the House Transportation Committee this week.
The bill (H.B. 487) would require sellers to disclose whether a vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder, or "black box," and if it is, to provide a description of the kind of data the EDR is able to record.
Similar to the "black boxes" found in airplanes, EDRs record the status of car system readings such as braking, steering, vehicle speed, airbag deployment and seat belt use immediately before, during and after an accident. The data is often used in automobile manufacturer research and federal safety research, as well as in police accident investigations.
The data retrieved from an EDR can be used as evidence in legal proceedings as long as it is not the only evidence to be considered in the case; however, the bill prohibits the downloading or retrieval of that data unless:
- the owner of the vehicle consents to the downloading or retrieval of the data;
- the data is the subject of a court-ordered subpoena;
- an authorized individual is allowed to download or retrieve data for the purposes of improving vehicle safety;
- data is retrieved for diagnosing, servicing or repairing the vehicle; or
- the National Transportation Safety Board makes a request related to an official investigation.
Any data downloaded or retrieved for purposes other than those identified would be inadmissible in any civil, criminal, or administrative action. A violation of the measure would be considered a violation of the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protections law.
The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
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