Episode Show Notes:

Unlocking the Black Box: Downloading Hidden Vehicle Electronic Data

• What is telematics?
  • Simply put, it’s the technology in your vehicle that connects your infotainment system, Bluetooth, cruise control, door locks, and more into a data system.
  • You don’t need to understand the word itself, just what it does — it makes all this vehicle tech accessible as digital evidence.
• Law enforcement and vehicle data:
  • Police can extract data from over 10,000 different car infotainment systems.
  • This data can reveal detailed information after a crash, including brake usage, door lock status, seatbelt engagement, and even whether you were texting or browsing the internet through your car’s Wi-Fi.
• What kind of data is stored in your vehicle?
  • Apps like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connect to your car, storing contacts, history, and more.
  • The car records operations such as remote start, gear position, speed — essentially acting as a black box similar to those in airplanes.
• Usage beyond law enforcement:
  • Private investigations also use vehicle data, often through subpoenas or direct downloads.
  • Vehicle owners sometimes request data from cars driven by spouses, colleagues, or relatives to know where the car went or if someone else was riding inside.
• Passenger detection and other details:
  • The vehicle can detect if someone was sitting in the passenger seat by monitoring airbag sensors.
  • It can log door openings/closings, whether the engine was running when the door opened, if doors were left unlocked, and even what radio stations were playing.
• Cellular connectivity in vehicles:
  • Many vehicles have their own cellular devices (like OnStar) that ping cell towers independently of your phone.
  • This means your car tracks location data and communications separately and permanently.
• Why this matters:
  • Vehicle technology today can hold as much or more data than your smartphone.
  • Unlike your phone, you can’t carry your car’s data with you — it stays in the vehicle and can be downloaded by anyone with access.