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Do you wish to investigate the reason for car fire? Nowadays, fire investigators take resort to an innovative technology to investigate a heinous accident. They apply the scientific methodologies and modern technologies for accurate accident scene reconstruction and carry on investigation thoroughly. In this matter, the importance of black box technology is immense.

What is black box technology?

Also known as event data recorder, black box was originally associated with aircraft accidents since it helped to record the investigators to find out what exactly went wrong.  Currently, this technology is not limited to air flights only. Indeed, a black box is used inside a car. It can be kept beneath your car seat or behind its dashboard.  Nowadays, almost all the new car models are equipped with this device. Especially if your car is not more than five years old, it is most likely that your car will surely have it.

Two kinds of black boxes are mainly used for cars. The first type is the one you usually have under the seat or even behind dashboard. It is installed by car manufacturer and you cannot remove or disable it easily. And the second one is the video crash data recorder featuring a camera as well as GPS and is mainly installed on windshield by drivers by themselves.

How do these boxes help in car fire investigation?

Most accident investigators make use of this in-vehicle monitoring technology to investigate car fire accident or other associated mishaps successfully. In fact, the popularity of this type of technology is increasing at a rapid rate in the US and in different other countries of the world.

Basically it monitors how, where and when a car is being driven, records data and offers an effective analysis as feedback to investigator, driver or other people. Few black boxes also have in-vehicle alerts if the pre-set parameters have surpassed.

Driving behavior or actions that are effectively monitored are the ones that result in crashing or even severe collision by a driver resulting in outbreak of fire. Issues such as use of seat belts, speed of the car are monitored with the help of this device. These can be the major reasons for this type of accident and evaluating the car driver’s tendency to indulge in this type of behavior allows this box to estimate a risk rating for that particular car driver. It allows helps you to find out preventive measures and reduce the risk of car crash.

What are the benefits of using this black box technology?

This black box technology has the potential to offer the following safety benefits

• Price is relatively low and it offers continuous measurement of behavior of driver and car use, which is otherwise quite difficult to find out.
• It offers more accurate as well as objective data about driving. Data include replies of self-reported questionnaires and short snapshot images gained from different types of driving tests or assessments.
• Black box is an effective tool for the employers to monitor as well as evaluate their staff who drive to work place, improve their safety, decrease crash rates or operational costs, meet legal obligations and decrease the risk of prosecution or any kind of legal action.
• It is also an effective method for the insurance firms to differentiate car drivers based on risk, rather than by age or even gender and also to customize the insurance premiums accordingly.
• Few investigators also use it as an effective research tool to offer effective training as well as guidance needs.  Even the data from black box also can be used as evidence in courts and also influence the outcome of a trial of legal case related to car fire accident.

Learn about different aspect of black box technology and carry on car fire investigation without any difficulty. 

Katie Smith is a  Fire Expert and his area of interests and expertise lies in forensic science and accident or crime scene investigation related matters. He often consults Houston Fire Investigation