Rudy Degger & Associates, Inc. is certified by Vetronix Corporation to operate Crash Data Retrieval Systems by General Motors (GM) and Ford.

"The Vetronix Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) System, sets the standard for accurate and reliable products designed to help professional accident reconstructionists, law enforcement, the insurance industry, and others do their jobs better and faster."

Why should airplanes be the only vehicles able to obtain pre-crash data?

General Motors (GM) and Ford have begun using technology similar to the flight-data recorder, or "black box," to enable accident reconstructionists to determine what happened to many vehicles in the seconds before impact.

Rudy Degger and Associates use the Vetronix Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) System to downloads pre-and post-crash data from the vehicle's airbag module to a laptop computer. This method is used in conjunction with traditional methods to determine impact speed. However, the CDR System does provide information unattainable from conventional methods.

With the CDR System we can obtain pre-crash information such as:

• Engine speed (5 seconds pre-impact)
• Throttle position (5 seconds pre-impact)
• Brake status (5 seconds pre-impact)
• Vehicle speed (5 seconds pre-impact)
• State of driver's and/or passenger's seat belt switch
• State of warning lamp
• State of passenger's front air bag suppression switch circuit
• Time from vehicle impact to air bag deployment
• Ignition cycles
• Time between non-deploy and deploy event (if within 5 seconds)

The CDR System hardware currently has the ability to interface to other manufacturer's automobiles, although the current software only supports select General Motors' and Ford vehicles. Please contact our office for information about whether the vehicle involved in your case will qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions about the CDR system

Q: What is an air bag module?
A: The air bag module is the vehicle's “computer” that controls air bag deployment. Since 1990, recordable air bag modules have been installed in select GM vehicles. SDM, Sensing and Diagnostic Module, is the name given to air bag modules used in General Motors vehicles from 1994 to present.

Since 1998, recordable air bag modules have been installed in select Ford vehicles. RCM, Restraint Control Module, is the name given to air bag modules used in Ford vehicles from 1998 to present.

Q: Will data only be recorded if the air bags deploy?
A: No, data is recorded in both Deployment and Non-Deployment Events.

Q: What is a Non-Deployment Event?
A: There are two types of air bag module (SDM) recorded crash events. The first is the non-deployment event. A Non-Deployment event is an event severe enough to “wake up” the sensing algorithm but not severe enough to deploy the air bag(s). It contains Pre-Crash and Crash data. The SDM can store up to one Non-Deployment Event. This can be overwritten by an event that has a greater SDM recorded velocity change (Delta-V). This event will be cleared by the SDM after the ignition has been cycled 250 times (about 60 days of normal driving).

Q: What is a Deployment Event?
A: The second type of SDM recorded crash event is the Deployment Event. It also contains Pre-Crash and Crash data. The SDM can store up to two different Deployment Events, if they occur within five seconds of one another. The first deployment event will be stored in the deployment file (this would have been the event that deployed the air bag) and the second Deployment Event will be stored in the Near Deployment file. Deployment events can not be overwritten or cleared from the SDM. Once the SDM has deployed the air bag, the SDM must be replaced.

Q: Why are GM and Ford making this data available?
A: GM and Ford wish to collect air bag deployment and crash data in order to improve vehicle safety design. They also wish to support recommendations set forth by the NTSB and NHTSA.

Q: Do other vehicle manufacturers have recordable air bag modules, and if so, why aren't they releasing this data?
A: Yes, some other vehicle manufacturers have recordable air bag modules. The amount of information recorded and the Model Year that they began installing these recordable air bag modules differs for each manufacturer. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) have recommended that all vehicle manufacturers equip their vehicles with recorders capable of storing crash data.

Q: Has the CDR system been validated?
A: Yes, GM, Ford and Vetronix have worked together to ensure the accurate retrieval and presentation of the recorded data. In addition, independent validation tests have been performed by NHTSA, Michigan State Police, Ontario Provincial Police, and others.

Q: Are there validation studies and reports available?
A: Yes, several papers and studies have been published concerning CDR data validation. Please contact Vetronix for more information.

Q: Is the data permanently stored in the vehicle's air bag module?
A: Yes, the data is permanently written in the EEPROM.