(1) Event data recorders have the potential to 
greatly improve motor vehicle safety by improving 
occupant protection systems and improving the accu-
racy of crash reconstructions. 
(2) Event data recorder technology has poten-
tial safety applications for all classes of motor vehi-
cles. 
(3) A wide range of crash-related and other 
data elements have been identified which can use-
fully be captured by event data recorders. 
(4) The National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration has incorporated event data recorder 
data collection in its motor vehicle research data-
bases. 
(5) Open access to event data recorder data will 
benefit researchers, crash investigators, and manu-
facturers in improving motor vehicle safety. 
(6) Studies of event data recorder information 
in Europe and the United States have shown that 
driver and employee awareness of an on-board event 
data recorder reduces the number and severity of 
crashes. 
(7) Given the differing nature of cars, vans, 
SUVs, and other lightweight vehicles, compared to 
heavy trucks, school buses, and motor coaches, dif-
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ferent event data recorder data systems may be re-
quired to meet the needs of each vehicle class. 
(8) The degree of benefit from an event data 
recorder is directly related to the number of vehicles 
operating with an event data recorder and the cur-
rent infrastructure’s ability to use and assimilate the 
data. 
(9) Automatic crash notification systems inte-
grate the on-board crash sensing and event data re-
corder technology with other electronic systems, such 
as global positioning systems and cellular telephones, 
to provide early notification of the occurrence, na-
ture, and location of a serious collision. 
SEC. 3. EVENT DATA RECORDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 301 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 30129. Event data recorders 
‘‘(a) REQUIRED EVENT DATA RECORDERS.—Not 
later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
this section, the Secretary shall modify the motor vehicle 
safety standard contained in part 563 of title 49, Code 
of Federal Regulations, to require that passenger auto-
mobiles (as defined in section 32901(a)(16)) be equipped 
with an event data recorder that meets the requirements 
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for event data recorders set forth in such part. The Sec-
retary shall require manufacturers to include such event 
data recorders in— 
‘‘(1) not less than 25 percent of their fleet be-
ginning in model year 2013; 
‘‘(2) not less than 65 percent of their fleet be-
ginning in model year 2014; and 
‘‘(3) 100 percent of their fleet beginning in 
model year 2015. 
‘‘(b) COMPATIBLE DATA RETRIEVAL TOOLS.—Not 
later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall modify the requirements in 
section 563.12 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, 
to require a standardized port for accessing and retrieving 
data stored in any event data recorder and that is compat-
ible with all such event data recorders regardless of the 
manufacturer or model of the motor vehicle. 
‘‘(c) DISCLOSURE.—The owner’s manual of each new 
motor vehicle sold or leased in the United States that is 
equipped with a recording device shall clearly indicate the 
presence of the event data recorder required under this 
section, in accordance with section 563.11 of title 49, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). 
‘‘(d) PRIVACY PROTECTIONS.—Information recorded 
or transmitted by event data recorder required under this 
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section may not be retrieved by a person other than the 
owner of the motor vehicle in which the recording device 
is installed unless— 
‘‘(1) a court authorizes retrieval of such infor-
mation in furtherance of a legal proceeding; 
‘‘(2) the owner consents to such retrieval for 
any purpose, including diagnosing, servicing, or re-
pairing the motor vehicle; or 
‘‘(3)(A) the information is retrieved by a gov-
ernment motor vehicle safety agency for the purpose 
of improving motor vehicle safety; and 
‘‘(B) the personally identifiable information of 
the owner or driver of the vehicle or the vehicle iden-
tification number is not disclosed in connection with 
the retrieved information. 
‘‘(e) NON-APPLICATION TO TRAILERS.—The require-
ments promulgated under this section shall apply to all 
motor vehicles except trailers, as such term is defined in 
section 571.3 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITION OF MODEL YEAR.—For purposes of 
this section, the term ‘model year’ means the manufactur-
er’s annual production period that begins on September 
1 of a given year which includes January 1 of the calendar 
year for which it is named. If the manufacturer has no 
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annual production period, the term ‘model year’ for that 
manufacturer means the calendar year.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 30128 the following new 
item: 
30129. Event data recorders. 
Æ 
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