05/18/2010 // West Palm Beach, Florida, USA // Nicole Howley // Nicole Howley

Sacramento, CA—On Monday, May 17, 2010 the state Assembly passed a bill that would allow video recorders to be installed on vehicles’ dashboards. The newly passed bill is raising concern about drivers’ privacy among some, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News.

The devices installed inside the vehicles could record a vehicle’s speed, where it travels, whether the driver wore a seatbelt and when or if the brakes were applied before an accident. Companies who have drivers on the road largely support the bill. The devices would be used by the companies who want to make sure their employees are driving safely.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, authored the bill, AB1942. Fletcher says that companies in other states who have already incorporated the devices have reduced their accident reports by 80 percent.

The devices are also appealing to parents of teenage drivers, who wish to monitor their child’s driving.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wrote a letter to Fletcher expressing concerns over privacy. The ACLU “suggested that the bill specify that the data belong to the vehicle owner and that an employee should be given the opportunity to refuse to be recorded.” The ACLU plans to work with lawmakers to implement changes to the bill.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley- Legal news for California government lawyers.

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