A bill that would require an owner's consent to access data in black boxes in cars and motorcycles seems more likely than ever before to come up for a vote in January 2017.

That is the optimism shared by members of the group "ABATE" a grass roots lobbyist group that deals with motorcycle issues but now finds itself leading the charge in fighting for privacy.

The bill was pushed off the last legislative agenda last year. It would require an owner's consent for anyone to access data from any recording device, either presently in operation, or later developed.

Anyone that took the information without consent faces potential fines ranging from $200 to $2000 per incident.

"Things are going great, ABATE spokesperson Kari Krause told CBS 58 News Tuesday at the rotunda in Madison. "We couldn't be more appreciative of our legislators and we could never thank them enough for what they do for us."

The Auto and Truck Dealers Association says the data recorders restrict their recordings to the seconds before and after the event. It believes requiring consent will slow down their ability to detect hazards that could prompt a recall.

"If you want to be concerned about where you're driving and who's getting a hold of the information I'd be concerned about your cell phone," said the association's president Bill Sepic. "That's telling me where you went.
 

ABATE says while the timing of the recordings may be limited now, safe guards need to be in place should that change.

The bill covers not only Event Data Recorders or EDR's but any device that is recording any information or tracking user behavior.

For a link to our original story on the topic click here