Many large commercial vehicles are equipped with an electronic control module that has the capability to record trip data related to the operation of the vehicle. This data is continually recorded for a pre-determined time span and is usually locked in memory when the vehicle senses an elevated deceleration level, as in a hard brake application or collision. The data recorded can vary considerably from one manufacturer to another and may include incident related data such as vehicle speed, engine speed, brake application, throttle position, engine load, and whether the cruise control was engaged. In some cases, this type of data recorder may also record trip data such as trip distance, driving time, top speed, hard brake applications, and idle time.
