Talking Cars May Reduce Occurrences of Motor Vehicle Accidents in the Future
For years, federal and state governments have worked to protect drivers and passengers by requiring seat belt use, mandating air bag installation and taking other legislative measures to reduce the severity of auto accident injuries. Now the government is moving in a new direction by considering implementing technology designed to stop many crashes before they happen.
To some degree, crash avoidance technology is already available on an increasing number of cars, which can now alert drivers of a car braking ahead, warn them of unseen objects in blind spots, and notify those who are swerving out of a lane. These technologies generally require drivers to respond to alarms and notifications. But according to ABC News, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is ready to unveil the next generation of crash-avoidance technology. The federal government is now considering mandating the introduction of Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) technology to new vehicles — potentially in as early as 2015 models.
Progress is currently underway in the development of a universal language that would allow vehicles to talk to each other and either warn drivers or even override driver actions when they detect an imminent danger. If implemented, cars with V2V technology will be able to:
- Apply brakes to two vehicles in danger of a head-on collision
- Prevent side-swipe accidents by vehicles by detecting lane encroachment and moving vehicles into their own lanes
- Warn drivers of merging trucks, cars in the blind spot, school zones and roadway workers, or even the imminent change of an upcoming roadway light.
Of course, changes of this magnitude do not happen overnight. Estimates indicate that it could take two decades to ensure that most vehicles are equipped with the new V2V technology. Additionally, equipment malfunctions could conceivably cause accidents, adding new complications to auto accident claims.
