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The Pilots Union fought the cockpit data recorders when they were first proposed. Their fear was that Monday morning quarterbacks would dissect the tape and always find a way to blame the pilot. I am sure that mile high clubs declined for a while when they were first introduced, but the union and the pilots have ligitamate concerns.

Similar systems are already in place in commercial trucking fleets. When I drove a truck I only had to fear the governor and my truck log. Now it is nearly all automated electronic logs, some GPS and black box recorders. It's a great help to accident investigators, and a time bomb for many drivers.

In Texas we have "joint and severally" (sp?) laws in place in which a defendant can be 1% in the wrong and become 100% liable for damages. It doubled commercial insurance rates when the manufacturers of brake systems, tires and truck bodies were sued in accidents where the driver of the truck had stolen the truck and was fleeing cops, or was completely drunk, and had a wreck.

I love the technology to solve accidents, but in the hands of a lawyer or a politician it will be used to hang citizens and destroy privacy rights, eventually.

I love the technology to solve accidents, but in the hands of a lawyer or a politician it will be used to hang citizens and destroy privacy rights, eventually.

Very interesting analysis.