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