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.