Today’s vehicles are collecting data, whether it is validating that the vehicle is operating to standards, monitoring the drivers’ habits, or providing navigation. Some of this information is required by federal law and some is personally data to help you maintain your vehicle.
DATA REQUIRED BY US LAW
Clean Air Act Amendment 1990:
The EPA requires all vehicles built after 1996 must have On-Board Diagnostics (OBD). And newer vehicles have standardized computer systems (also known as OBDII). These continually monitor the electronic sensors of engines and emission control systems, including
the catalytic converter, while the vehicle is being driven to ensure they are
working as designed.
Each OBD system is required to collect standard information that provides all current information and a snapshot of the same data take at the point when the last diagnostic trouble code was set.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
Also collected driving information is the Event Data Recorder (EDR), similar to an airplane’s black box. The EDR monitors the vehicle’s network of sensors for signs of a crash and stores a few seconds of the data stream, dumping and refreshing the information constantly. The type of information collected in the EDR varies among manufacturers, but it generally includes throttle and brake-pedal position, steering angle, yaw rate (the vehicle’s rotational velocity), speed, and impact-sensor data. This information is saved permanently following an airbag deployment and can be accessed through the OBD-II port by a technician using specialized equipment. No location data is stored in EDR.
EDRs have been used since the 1990s and have recently been standardized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). EDRs are required equipment on all cars beginning in 2013, with the aim of making their data easier to obtain for crash investigations. Lawyers have used this data in court cases to demonstrate driver behavior during an accident.
Non-regulated data from your vehicle
The diagnostics systems actually has open the field to collect all sorts of vehicle information. Allowing each manufacture to define additional modes for vehicle data collection. A modern car knows hwere you are, is constantily tracking your driving habits and may even be able to call for help if you have a crash, or your airbags deploy.
Though not part of the EPA’s OBD II standard, the diagnostic read-outs used by dealership technicians are also read through the OBD II connector. These service codes show you such things as knock sensor operation, FI pulse width, ignition voltage, individual cylinder misfires, transmission shift points and ABS brake condition. There can be over 300 readings available, depending on the vehicle manufacturer and model. Vehicles vary in the readings they will support. Scanners vary widely in the number of these signals that they can read. Some show just the basic OBD or OBD II signals, others show the full range of service codes.
This is the type of information that can be gathered by the auto insurances via a ‘dongle‘, (see image). Think of this a Fitbit for your car: it measures input, output, distance, etc. A combination f the OBD and 2-way communication, the system lets companies like OnStar read the data and create reports about the driving history.With the help a hardware adapter and a mobile app, you can read the vehicle data your self.
This dongle is connected to your OBD port and records your driving experience: speed, breaking habits; it will read any data the vehicle is collecting. It can tell if you are wearing your seat-belt, how many hours the car is driven, what hours it is being used and the locations it visits.
- Shows real-time data. You can see everything from how fast you’re traveling, how hot your engine is, the voltage of your battery, and a bunch of other information that most people don’t really care about as you drive.
- Maintains trip history. You can see a history of your trips and all the accompanying data, including how long the trip was, average mile per gallon.
Most navigation systems are separate from a car’s computer. Now a days manufactures are adding features to vehicles such as providing GPS; which can collect your routes, frequently visited locations. Most vehicles have a one-way GPS system streaming to the car. But with the additional of telematics systems in the car (think OnStar), 3rd parties now have the ability to see where you are, your driving speed. and what state your care is in mechanically.
If you think your mobile phone is the only device collecting your location, think again. Your Vehicle has the same data collection services as your smart phone (gaming console, smart watch, Go-Pro camera).
What can you do about the tracking for a new-car buyer? Not much. Pay close attention to the terms in the user agreement for any telematics (cellular connection), and opt-out of the service.
The more you know about YOUR DIGITAL DATA the more you can control.
Here is what one OEM says:
We receive information about you through vehicle sales records provided by your dealer and we may obtain, with your consent, data obtained from your vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (“EDR”) as described in your owner’s manual (i.e., how various systems in your vehicle operate, the speed and distance of your vehicle). For additional information about EDR data, please see your owner’s manual. We also may obtain information about you and your vehicle from GM affiliates, GM dealers, GM licensees for consumer merchandise, GM credit card bank partners and other sources such as companies that provide lists of potential vehicle purchasers and current owners, if such companies are permitted to share your information with us pursuant to their privacy statements.
It’s becoming apparent that vehicles also collect a lot of interesting data on drivers themselves, placing their privacy at risk. Senator Markey found that most manufacturers collect data on customers, but often drivers are “not explicitly made aware of data collection and, when they are, they often cannot opt out without disabling valuable features, such as navigation”.