According to Executive Digest, cars registered for the first time in the European Union will have to have a device similar to the black box of airplanes which will allow them to record events before, during, and after a road accident.

These black boxes, or event recording devices (EDR) are now mandatory for all vehicles approved in Community territory, in an attempt by the European Commission to lower the number of car accidents.

This device "records the moments immediately before there is an accident and in those moments immediately after the accident," the secretary general of the National Association of Automotive Trade and Repair Companies (ANECRA), Roberto Gaspar told Lusa.

Among the data collected is the speed of the vehicle, the position and inclination of the car on the road or the state, and the activation rate of the security systems - including the 'ecall' system for the emergency number.

Also, the activation of the brakes or pre-tensioners of the seat belts, as well as other active safety and accident prevention systems will be recorded by these devices.

"Such data must have a high level of accuracy and its preservation must be ensured," says the European Commission, adding that these EDRs should not be able to be deactivated and must operate in a closed circuit.

The director of ACP Autos, Elsa Serra, recorded that despite the similarities with the black box of planes, the function of the EDR is "a little different because it does not record anything of what is inside" of the cabin.

"It is a device that is installed in the vehicle and that has this objective that the European Union has been establishing for a long time, which is to reduce car accidents," added the head of this division of the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP).

As for the deterrent effect of accidents, both Elsa Serra and Roberto Gaspar admitted that it may not be the most effective mechanism, not least because, as the first underlined, these devices are only activated in the event of an accident and "no one intends to have an accident".

"I don't know if this will have any effect from a deterrent point of view, of someone knowing that the car has a black box and, as a result, driving in a different way to how they usually drive," defended the secretary general of ANECRA.

Still, they agree that it can be an added value for manufacturers to analyse and develop better security systems.

"The purpose of this device is not to control the speed at which the driver goes, it is not here an intimidator, but an aid to the investigation of responsibilities, even in the case of the accident, but that there is, above all, a greater knowledge of the data that leads to the occurrence of the accident."

In 2023, 10.5 million cars were registered in the European Union, an increase of 13.9% compared to 2022. Already this year, between January and May, 4.6 million vehicles were registered, plus 4.6% in year-on-year terms.