Wanted: Crash data recorder (that's actually been in a crash)

Mechanical Advantage wrote 03/04/2016 at 04:11 • 0 points

I'm looking for a crash data recorder from an automobile that has actually been in a collision of some sort. These are devices in a car that record various sensor data in a first-in-last-out memory that can be read back by law enforcement or insurance companies.

These are sometimes called "Event data recorders", "Crash data recorders", "Sensing and diagnostic module", or simply "Black box". They are usually a separate module but can be incorporated into the module that monitors and controls air bags.

I'd like to try my hand at snarfing the data off of one and seeing if I can decode it. If anyone has a totalled car they don't much care for, I'd like to see if the recorder could be removed and mailed for a nominal fee. Don't worry, I can be discrete if there is any "questionable" forensic data on it ;)