sit-ins to avoid bloodshed. back in this country, most everyone is familiar with the term black box. the data recorder officials try to access after a plane crashes. you may not even know it, but the newer your car is, the more likely you have one in there. doug mcelway tells us whether that's good or bad all depends on who you talk to. >> magnificent motors. >> reporter: the automobile has been a metaphor for american independence and freedom. some fear this little device will change all that. the national highway traffic safety administration issued a proposed rule all cars be equipped with a black box, a data recorder by september next year. 96% of new cars already have them, measuring speed, pedal effort, seat belt use, wheel spin, direction. black box data retrieved from u.s. car accidents in a single day would provide more information than a year's worth of crash testing like this, head of the design team that's standardizing the devices but fears they have a massive