Electronic Control Module

For the purposes of this report, electronic control module is referred to as "event data recorder (EDR)," because in this application the technology is used to gather a variety of vehicle and events data surrounding a crash or near-miss incident when, or just before, it occurs. As the Committee noted in its report, these include data such as vehicle speed, and brake pedal and throttle position. Data is typically recorded continuously over a specified time interval, such as three minutes. The data is then replaced unless an event occurs, in which case the EDR saves the data surrounding the event, such as 30 seconds before and 15 seconds after a crash. Events that trigger the EDR to save such data can include sudden deceleration, air bag deployment, or manual activation by the driver.