01 Introduction
01
20
Recording data
As part of Volvo's safety and quality assur-
ance, certain information about the vehicle's
operation, functionality and incidents are
recorded in the car.
This vehicle is equipped with an "Event Data
Recorder" (EDR). Its primary purpose is to
register and record data related to traffic
accidents or collision-like situations, such as
times when the airbag deploys or the vehicle
strikes an obstacle in the road. The data is
recorded in order to increase understanding
of how vehicle systems work in these types of
situations. The EDR is designed to record
data related to vehicle dynamics and safety
systems for a short time, usually 30 seconds
or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
data related to the following in the event of
traffic accidents or collision-like situations:
•
How the various systems in the car
worked
•
Whether the driver and passenger seat-
belts were fastened/tensioned
•
The driver's use of the accelerator or
brake pedal
•
The travel speed of the vehicle
This information can help us better under-
stand the circumstances in which traffic acci-
dents, injuries and damage occur. The EDR
only records data when a non-trivial collision
situation occurs. The EDR does not record
any data during normal driving conditions.
Similarly, the system never registers who is
driving the vehicle or the geographic location
of the accident or near-miss situation. How-
ever, other parties, such as the police, could
use the recorded data in combination with the
type of personally identifiable information rou-
tinely collected after a traffic accident. Spe-
cial equipment and access to either the vehi-
cle or the EDR is required to be able to inter-
pret the registered data.
In addition to the EDR, the car is equipped
with a number of computers designed to con-
tinually check and monitor the function of the
car. They can record data during normal driv-
ing conditions, but in particular register faults
affecting the vehicle's operation and function-
ality, or upon activation of the vehicle's active
driver support function (e.g. City Safety and
the auto brake function).
Some of the recorded data is required to ena-
ble service and maintenance technicians to
diagnose and remedy any faults that occurred
in the vehicle. The registered information is
also needed to enable Volvo to satisfy legal
requirements laid out in laws and by govern-
ment authorities. Information registered in the
vehicle is stored in its computer until the vehi-
cle is serviced or repaired.
In addition to the above, the registered infor-
mation can be used in aggregate form for
research and product development with the
aim of continuously improving the safety and
quality of Volvo cars.
Volvo will not contribute to the above-descri-
bed information being disclosed to third par-
ties without the vehicle owner's consent. To
comply with national legislation and regula-
tions, Volvo may be forced to disclose infor-
mation of this nature to the police or other
authorities who may assert a legal right to
access such. Special technical equipment
which Volvo and workshops that have
entered into agreements with Volvo have
access to is required to be able to read and
interpret the recorded data. Volvo is responsi-
ble that the information, which is transferred
to Volvo during servicing and maintenance, is
stored and handled in a secure manner and
that the handling complies with applicable
legal requirements. For further information -
contact a Volvo dealer.
