'Black boxes' to be required in cars

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Many drivers don't realize that every time they get behind the wheel, a tattle tale is along for the ride.

In fact, event data recorders, similar to black boxes in airplanes, have been in cars for years.

Soon, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require the recorders be in all new cars and light trucks.

Unlike the black boxes in airplanes, these are not always recording and do not record audio or video.

They start recording during any sudden acceleration or deceleration.

The recorders saves a variety of information including how fast the car was traveling, whether the driver applied the brake, was steering erratically or had a seat belt on.

All useful information for crash investigators, but some drivers are concerned that there's no way to opt out or disable the recorders.

Randy Sherman of Springfield explained, “Personally I think it's a highly intrusive thing to do, it has its benefits where you can track causes of accidents but other than that it's just another way the government is getting into your personal business."

When Lt. Governor Tim Murray crashed his government-owned car last year, data on the car's recorder showed he wasn't telling the truth when he said he was wearing a seatbelt and wasn't speeding.

He was actually going more than 100 miles per hour and wasn't buckled up.