National High­way Traf­fic Safety Admin­is­tra­tion offi­cials think “black box” vehi­cle onboard data recorders are essen­tial for high­way safety. NHTSA Admin­is­tra­tor David Strick­land opposed on/off switches that could allow motorists to turn off event data recorders, say­ing it would be a “hor­ri­ble thing for safety.” NHTSA would like to see all vehi­cles built after Sep­tem­ber 2014 to have data recorders, and that about 96% of 2013 light-duty vehi­cles have the capability.