If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic or see a hazard on the road, you may have at some point wished you could somehow verbally communicate with other drivers to better navigate around each other or avoid collisions. If only there was a system placed inside each and every car that could help drivers communicate with more than blinker lights and car horns. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation confirmed this is the goal and are taking steps to make vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication possible for everyday drivers.
How Would V2V Communication Work?
While self-driving cars may be a reality in the not-so-distant future, there is still a question of whether or not they are safe. However, connected cars are expected to reduce the number of car accidents by 80 percent and maybe a safer alternative to surrendering full control to an autonomous car. By using technology that is similar to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, cars that are close to each other will share information, including:
- Speed
- Warnings about potential dangers
- Direction
- Oncoming traffic congestion
- Construction in the area
Additionally, it would even be possible for your car to receive data from structures, such as stop lights, crosswalks and road warning signs.
There are more than 30,000 fatal car accidents each year and at least 2 million reported injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Currently, cars are being manufactured with other safety technologies, such as Left Turn Assist, Intersection Movement Assist, automatic braking, rear-view cameras and blind spot monitors. Adding V2V communication would be another great step towards reducing traffic congestion and making the roads safer. Hopefully, the Department of Transportation moves forward with this technology soon.
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Source: http://www.wired.com/insights/2014/09/connected-cars/