WGK Personal Injury Lawyers | November 12, 2025 | Car Accidents
When you hear the term “black box” in relation to a car, it might bring to mind the flight recorders found in airplanes. But in a vehicle, a “black box” is something quite different. Understanding this device is important, especially if you’re ever in a car accident and need to know what information your car might be holding.
This article explains what a black box is, what it records, whether your car likely has one, and why it matters in a personal injury case in Maryland.
What We Mean by a Car’s “Black Box”
In vehicles, the device, often referred to as a “black box,” is officially known as an event data recorder (EDR) or crash data recorder (CDR). It is a small electronic device built into many modern cars that records short bursts of data about how a vehicle was operating right before, during, and after a crash.
The black box in a car is not the same as the kind in an airplane, which records long hours of flight and cockpit information. Instead, an EDR in a vehicle only stores limited data, usually covering a few seconds surrounding an accident.
In simple terms, a car’s black box acts like a silent witness that captures a snapshot of what your vehicle was doing just before an impact occurs.
How Does the Black Box Work?
An event data recorder connects to your vehicle’s computer system, often through the airbag control module or the engine control unit. When your car experiences a “triggering event,” such as a sudden deceleration or collision, the device saves data that would otherwise be overwritten.
Typical information recorded by the EDR includes:
- Vehicle speed
- Whether the brakes were applied
- Throttle position (i.e., how much the gas pedal was pressed)
- Steering wheel angle
- Seatbelt use
- Airbag deployment
The black box constantly loops and rewrites its data as you drive. It only freezes and stores information when it senses a crash or impact. That means it doesn’t track you everywhere or record hours of driving—it only saves a brief moment of critical data. In summary, the black box activates during specific events and records the seconds leading up to and following them.
Does My Car Have One?
If your vehicle was manufactured in the last 10 to 15 years, it likely has an event data recorder. Most modern cars sold in the United States include them because manufacturers use the data to improve safety features and comply with federal standards.
However, not all EDRs are the same. Some record more types of information than others, and certain models make it easier to access the data. To find out whether your vehicle has a black box, check your owner’s manual, contact your dealership, or ask a qualified mechanic.
In Maryland, knowing whether your car has an EDR can be very helpful if you are ever in an accident. A personal injury lawyer can work with professionals who retrieve and interpret this data so that it can be used to support your case.
Contact Our Dundalk Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
The black box helps reconstruct what happened, providing details like speed, braking, and airbag deployment that can support your version of events. While it doesn’t track your every move or record video, the short burst of data it holds can make a major difference in proving who was at fault.
By learning about how EDRs work and consulting with a knowledgeable Dundalk car accident attorney, you can make sure valuable evidence isn’t lost and that your rights are fully protected after an accident. Call WGK Personal Injury Lawyers today to get started with a free consultation.
For more information contact the Dundalk car accident law firm of WGK Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers
14 W Madison St, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
(410) 837-2144
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers – Dundalk Office
7329 Holabird Ave Suite 3, Dundalk, MD 21222
By appointment only
(410) 970-3080
