Accuracy of Pre-Crash Speed Recorded in 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Event Data Recorders

The accuracy of pre-crash data recorded in an Airbag Control Module (ACM) with Event Data Recorder (EDR) functionality has been studied and quantified for vehicles from several vehicle manufacturers. Most published research has involved vehicles with accessible data that can be downloaded via commercially available crash data retrieval equipment. Some Mitsubishi vehicles, including the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, are capable of recording crash data that can be accessed only by the manufacturer. The accuracy of such data becomes important when it is intended to be used as part of a collision analysis. The pre-crash speed data recorded by a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicle was evaluated by generating artificial deployment events while running the vehicle on a 4-wheel dynamometer and simultaneously capturing data through the OBDII port. The tests were run at speeds up to approximately 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour). The data from these tests illustrate the specific characteristics of the recording time and sample rate for the Mitsubishi Lancer ACM (i.e., 2.3 seconds of pre-crash data recorded at 100 millisecond intervals) and showed consistent results.