INTRODUCTION
19
Recording data
As part of Volvo's safety and quality assurance,
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 regis-
ter 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 seatbelts
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 understand
the circumstances in which traffic accidents, inju-
ries 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 geo-
graphic location of the accident or near-miss sit-
uation. However, other parties, such as the police,
could use the recorded data in combination with
the type of personally identifiable information
routinely collected after a traffic accident. Special
equipment and access to either the vehicle or the
EDR is required to be able to interpret the regis-
tered data.
In addition to the EDR, the car is equipped with a
number of computers designed to continually
check and monitor the function of the car. They
can record data during normal driving conditions,
but in particular register faults affecting the vehi-
cle's operation and functionality, or upon activa-
tion 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 enable
service and maintenance technicians to diagnose
and remedy any faults that occurred in the vehi-
cle. The registered information is also needed to
enable Volvo to satisfy legal requirements laid out
in laws and by government authorities. Informa-
tion registered in the vehicle is stored in its com-
puter until the vehicle is serviced or repaired.
In addition to the above, the registered informa-
tion can be used in aggregate form for research
and product development with the aim of contin-
uously improving the safety and quality of Volvo
cars.
Volvo will not contribute to the above-described
information being disclosed to third parties with-
out the vehicle owner's consent. To comply with
national legislation and regulations, Volvo may be
forced to disclose information 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 responsible that the infor-
mation, which is transferred to Volvo during serv-
icing 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.
