Americans love their cars. We love them for the freedom they provide as well as a sense of independence. I’m sure this begins with the first time we utter the phrase ‘Can I borrow the car?’ to our parents. We are finally ‘in control’ of our destiny! We can go where we want, when we want and once we leave the eye/ear shot of our parents we could do whatever we wanted and they wouldn’t know. I remember this time when I was in high school and we were out in the woods with ‘my’ Toyota Land Cruiser… but I digress.

Well, it seems those carefree, do whatever, days may be behind us. Event Data Recorders (EDR) are becoming more common in new cars. These devices record an ‘instant replay’ version of events your car has experienced. Unlike the ‘black boxes’ installed in commercial airliners these devices do not record audio but they do capture speed, braking, and other performance data. Normally this information is used to determine if an accident has occurred and if the airbag(s) should be deployed. This data can also be used to recreate the circumstances immediately prior to an accident.

The article below goes into some detail of the uses of this data. I believe that all vehicles should include such a device. I also believe that such devices should be limited to a maximum recording time, say 120 seconds, and that the data (which must be available for download via an open, standard format) is the property of the vehicles owner. As such, that data is not to be released without permission or court order.

TIME.com: Psst, Your Car is Watching You — Aug. 14, 2006 — Page 1