According to a recent article, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reportedly voiced its official opinion regarding black boxes. The reports show that allowing vehicles with black boxes to have switches that would make it possible for the driver to turn the device on and off could pose a serious risk to users.

The federal agency states that the presence of event data recorders in 100% of all light duty vehicles will not pose a threat to the privacy of drivers and that, in spite of the criticism, the mandate will ensure that all causes that led to a crash are being studied and reviewed.

The federal agency went on to report that event data recorders work by recording the data of the events that take place in the seconds before and during the impact. Some of the details that are recorded by the black boxes include airbag deployment timing, forces involved and if the seat belts were buckled at the time of the crash.

According to the news agencies, NHTSA wants to make the use of black boxes standard in all vehicles manufactured after 2014.

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