Access to crash data stored at the vehicles’ Event Data Recorders via Bosch CDR Tool for various vehicle manufacturers

Karlsruhe – As of July 6, 2022, all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) receiving a new type approval need to be equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR) recording a series of vehicle data in the event of an accident. As of July 7, 2024, this applies to all newly registered passenger cars and LCVs. As of January 7, 2026, this regulation will also apply to all new EU type approvals for commercial vehicles and as of January 7, 2029 to all new commercial vehicles. Bosch developed the CDR (Crash Data Retrieval) Tool for reliable readout of EDR data. The CDR Tool’s software makes sure crash data can only be read out. Data stored at the Event Data Recorders can neither be modified nor deleted. The data read out via CDR is intended for use by experts or insurance companies for accident analyses and accident research as well as for vehicle safety research purposes. Vehicle manufacturers can also access the data for their own accident research purposes or to make sure an accident was not caused by technical failures in case of legal disputes and to improve vehicle safety systems.

So far, Bosch is the only supplier of multi-brand CDR

For ten years, Bosch has been leading the development of Crash Data Retrieval tools. Today, Bosch is the only supplier offering a CDR Tool covering multiple models and vehicle manufacturers, e.g. BMW, Audi or Toyota, on the European market. The Bosch CDR Tool consists of a hardware module connected to the vehicle’s OBD interface by means of a cable. In case the OBD connection became unusable e.g. in case of a severe accident damage, CDR can also be connected right to the control unit hosting the EDR by means of a special adapter cable. Windows-based CDR software processes the data read out and generates a PDF report. Regular updates make sure that changes to safety-relevant vehicle systems storing information in the EDR can always be read out. In close cooperation with the car manufacturers, the range of vehicles for which the EDR data can be read out via Bosch CDR Tool will continuously be expanded.

Event Data Recorders document the event of an accident

The data read out and processed by the Bosch CDR Tool is a major benefit for accident analyses. Throughout the event of an accident, the EDR – usually installed into the airbag control module – records more than 40 different pieces of information. This data includes vehicle speed, position of the accelerator pedal and the steering system, engine speed, ABS and ESP data as well as sensors data concerning frontal, lateral and vertical acceleration. This is complemented by additional data which varies depending on the vehicle manufacturer and model and which are continuously expanded by new sensors and systems such as driver assistance systems. When reconstructing an accident, this data can be used to complement testimonials of witnesses and the observations of experts who visited the site of the accident. This data can also allow insurance companies to reveal insurance frauds. It is often the case that the report generated by the Bosch CDR Tool out of the EDR data will be used as evidence in court.