As they transmit and store increasingly more electronic information, cars today give new meaning to the term “mobile device.” Like computers and mobile phones, the information our vehicles contain, from performance data to location, is also being sought more and more in legal proceedings. Not surprisingly, the law lags behind the ever-changing technological landscape. Until Congress and/or the courts create a framework for handling in-car data, the use of such information in legal proceedings raises important questions. What opportunities does this new wealth of information create for litigators? And how do we protect drivers' privacy?

Vehicle telematics systems, such as Ford's Sync and General Motors' OnStar, have many functions, including GPS tracking, risk assessment (monitoring of speed, braking, seatbelt usage, etc. by insurance companies), advanced safety features, and interfacing with any number of entertainment apps. This data is related to but distinct from the type of information found in a vehicle's “black box.” Black boxes record a variety of vehicle performance information, from speed to steering angle to brake usage, and have often been used in accident investigations and litigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has mandated that, as of Sept. 1, 2014, all new vehicles contain a black box (as a practical matter, most cars have contained some form of a black box for several years). With advances in technology, auto manufacturers are designing increasingly powerful black boxes that contain ever more data points. Our vehicles have become rolling “Wi-Fi hotspots” of opportunity for litigators.

Personal injury and product liability litigators, as well as family and criminal law practitioners, should be prepared to either request or attempt to block requests for in-car data. In some cases, such information may be the only way to corroborate (or contradict) witness testimony. It may also lead to information that might not otherwise be discoverable. In cases where speed, location, seatbelt usage, or the behavior of certain vehicle systems are at issue, in-car data may be the best source of information. Additionally, with many new vehicles now equipped with Internet access, litigants are likely to turn to in-car data to determine whether a driver in an accident was downloading music or surfing the web or typing an address into the navigation system at the time of the accident. In-car data is like cell phone data, just in a more cumbersome device.