Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication Could Increase Traffic Safety

The US Department of Transportation has announced a “Proposed Rulemaking to Begin Implementation of Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications Technology.”

According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx:

This technology could move us from helping people survive crashes to helping them avoid crashes altogether – saving lives, saving money, and even saving fuel thanks to the widespread benefits it offers.

Unlike Google’s driverless car, which detects its surroundings on its own, the V2V technology must be installed in multiple vehicles in order to be effective.

The cars would basically “talk to each other” and warn each other of impending collisions in time for the driver to brake or take other action.

• The Left Turn Assist warns drivers not to turn left in front of an oncoming driver.
• The Intersection Movement Assist tells drivers when it’s not safe to enter an intersection, due to a high chance of collision.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the V2V technology would add only about $350 to the cost of a new car by the year 2020.

The technology is expected to reduce the risk of certain kinds of vehicle accidents by at least half, and save at least 1,000 lives per year.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to know whether the public is concerned about, for example, the risk that hackers could introduce malicious code into a V2V network that could actually cause, rather than prevent, car accidents.

Also, would people come to rely on technology too much, and pay less attention to other cars, thus causing other types of accidents?

Comments must be received by the DOT by October 20, 2014.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a vehicle accident, contact an experienced Teaneck personal injury attorney with the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Hasson, P.C. for help.