Black Box Tech Can Only Help Young Drivers

Feb 29, 2016 • Automotive
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“Black boxes” were originally devices that are installed in airplanes to record two things: sound in the aircraft, and aircraft computer data. This information is generally extracted in the instance of a plane crash in order for pilots to try to figure out what exactly happened. Now, the technology is being installed in most new automobiles in order to track driving, which would help people lower their insurance costs exponentially.

In the context of automobiles, black boxes are currently optional and additional auto parts that measure driving patterns, speed, and when the black box is activated, successfully determining what time of day the driver is on the road. These devices are built into about 90% of new cars, and can help younger drivers decrease their insurance costs by quite a bit, if they are driving safely and responsibly.

If you are under the age of 25, black boxes might be a very beneficial technology for you to take advantage of. Provided you are a safe driver, your insurance rates could drop significantly based on your driving patterns and how safe you are on the road. From the start of 2015 to August of 2015, young drivers who are using black boxes in their cars to drop insurance rates have seen a staggering 5.5% decrease in insurance costs.

At the turn of the decade, insurance premiums for younger drivers have skyrocketed. A black box installed in your car is a perfect way to prove to insurance companies that you are a low-risk driver, thus causing your insurance rates to drop.

While this is a technology that could benefit younger drivers, it is not proving to be too helpful to older drivers. Drivers over the age of 50 have seen their insurance jump up 8.6%. Perhaps as time goes on, older drivers will get better with the new technology, causing it to help them drop their insurance rates. For now, it seems to mostly help the young.

Black boxes in cars have proven to work so well that the government is considering making them mandatory for all drivers. This would give young drivers an opportunity to prove that they should be eligible for lower insurance on the basis that they are safe and responsible drivers, as opposed to being subject to insurance jumps when they are undeserving of them.

Just like in the instance of a plane crash, black boxes might also help court rooms determine what happened in the instance of a young person getting into a car accident. This is another reason the government wants to make the devices mandatory – this technology might prove to be incredibly useful in a courtroom. In case you got involved in a motorcycle accident, you will need to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer to develop your case and protect your rights.

In 2013 in Surrey, a young 20 year old driver named Max Charles fell asleep at the wheel of his automobile and got into a crash. He fell into a semi-coma, but due to the black box tracking his exact location, emergency services were able to find him and rescue him. The car was also taken to the nearest auto repair shop for professional auto repair services. Without the black box in place, the consequences of the crash could have been far worse, due to Max Charles not being found in time.

Not only will young people be benefited by lower insurance, but they will also be protected from danger with the revolutionary new black box technology, just like Max Charles was in 2013.

Black boxes are beneficial all around. They will cause young people to have lower insurance, and that would inspire them to be safer drivers. Perhaps in time, older drivers will be benefitted by the use of black box technology as well, but right now it mostly seems to benefit the young. Hopefully someday everyone will benefit from this revolutionary new technology.

Alex Espenson

Alex Espenson is a technology writer with a passion for home automation, tech security, and wearable smart devices.

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