News agencies reported that technology that is designed to allow vehicles to talk to each other in order to prevent accidents and improve traffic flow is scheduled to be tested in the real world following funding from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).
Many top-tier vehicles come with sensors designed to spot a vehicle in a driver’s blind spot or alert the driver when they drift out of the lane, however, these sensors have a limited view of the road. Car-to-car communication systems could provide earlier warnings for emergency situations.
Last month, the USDOT gave $14.9 million to the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute to test the new technology, known as vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The system uses short-range radio communication to let cars signal each other and receive messages from traffic equipment.
President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America Scott Belcher said, “This is the next major safety advancement, one that’s comparable to seat belts, air bags and electronic stability control.”
The technology is set to be tested in a variety of settings and will be tested for situations like alerting the driver of unsafe passing and unsafe approaching of an intersection.
As a Sumter car accident lawyer , I know the frequency with which serious collisions happen and hope that this technology will aid in making the road safe for all. If you’ve been injured in a collision, it may be in your best interests to seek the counsel of an experienced car accident lawyer .