What is an Event Data Recorder (EDR)?

Most modern vehicles and some older vehicles have an EDR which records certain data about what the vehicle was doing immediatley prior to the collision. The data can include everything from vehicle speed, engine speed, whether the accelerator pedal is being pressed and by how much, whether the brake pedal is being applied, the steering angle sensor and in some cases, the forces involved in a collision.

Why Is It Crucial After a Collision?

As an EDR records crucial data about what a car was doing immediately prior to and at the time of a crash, it can provide an unbiased account of what happened around the time of the crash. This can be essential when comparing a drivers account to the data that has been recorded. Examples of this include a driver who says they were travelling in a straight line, but the other driver says they were changing lane. A driver who says they were braking, but the other driver says they were accelerating hard.