Comments on: Traffic Justice Q&A With Bronx Prosecutor Joseph A. McCormack

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:13:42 +0000

I detest being so dogmatic, but my (now-notional) car is my property. Get a warrant and I'll give you the keys. On the other hand, it is possible and desirable for insurance companies to put EDRs (or VMT gauges) in cars they cover.

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:03:11 +0000

Yes, driving is not a right. You have freedom of movement, just not freedom of movement with a two-ton+ vehicle.

By: James

James — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:59:59 +0000

Hold up, Jonathan. It's not the same thing. What goes on in your private home is your business. You would not have black boxes in, say, your dishwasher or your hot water heater. That would be nuts. On the other hand, a collision between unrelated persons on a PUBLIC road is another matter entirely, and in that case access to a comprehensive and easy accessed data recorder is absolutely appropriate and necessary.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:26:51 +0000

When machines hurt or kill people, it's entirely appropriate that authorities have access to information about the failure.

Huh? Whatever happened to the Fourth Amendment? I'm all for road safety, but that goes a little too far for my tastes. I don't want filming of my kitchen or (notional) swimming pool, either, so that in the event that Junior dies in a home accident, “authorities have access to information about the failure.”

By: Glenn

Glenn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:27:15 +0000

The EDRs should be treated similar to the level of alcohol in a person's body - roadside testing or jail until a judge's warrant can be obtained.

By: J-Uptown

J-Uptown — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:27:10 +0000

This is great reporting. If we want to change the system, we first need to know exactly what the problems are. One of the most obvious problems is the opacity inherent in much of the NYPD's and the DA's operations. This series is a step in the right direction. It is great that NYPD has protocols that are technically supposed to be applied the same in all crashes. In practice, however, it seems to be pretty clear that the protocols are not followed. Similarly, police are "technically" not supposed to beat suspects, tackle cyclists, or engage in high speed pursuits, but they do so with a seeming zeal and blatantly lie even when there is proof of their actions.

Traffic justice involves several steps. Step 1 is getting the official policy right. Step 2 is actually getting police to obey policy. However, before Step 2 is even conceivable, we need a transparent and accountable police force that does not consider itself above the law.

By: Nathan H.

Nathan H. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:05:07 +0000

Sounds like we need federal regulations to improve automobile black boxes, and the bad law from Albany (what a shock) needs an exclusion for any crash where a human is injured. When machines hurt or kill people, it entirely appropriate that authorities have access to information about the failure.