Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications Could Become Mandatory in New Cars
After years of research, the U.S. Department of Transportation has declared vehicle-to-vehicle communication the next major innovation in auto safety. In a release issued earlier on Monday, the DoT put the emerging technology alongside safety belts and airbags, outlining plans to require V2V tech in light vehicles (passenger cars) “in a future year.”
The technology outlined in the announcement allows cars to “speak” to one another, and while it won’t actually take control of a vehicle to avoid an accident, it will alert the driver that one is imminent. So you could soon be seeing a dashboard alert if you’re getting too close to someone else’s car.
The department was quick to point out that no personal information is exchanged during the process. Instead, the vehicles will collect speed and location from cars in their immediate vicinity. According to information gathered during a yearlong pilot process, the DoT believes that such technology could help prevent “a large majority of crashes involving two or more motor vehicles.”
The DoT is, not surprisingly, being coy with regards to when such a technology might become mandatory in new cars. It’s a process no doubt fraught with red tape.
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