Automobiles that communicate with drivers have been around for a while. However, under a new initiative from the Department of Transportation, cars will soon be communicating with each other. US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the initiative during a speech at ITSA 2010.Vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology would give cars a standard method to communicate by combining a GPS system with a wireless communication system similar to Wi-Fi. Drivers would be warned if they were making a lane change and a car was in their blind spot, or the car could automatically apply the brakes when the driver doesn't notice the stalled truck ahead.
According to DOT statistics, an estimated 76 percent of crashes involving unimpaired drivers could be prevented using the technology. The technology is already an option in some newer cars, but the Intelligent Transportation Systems being proposed are much more advanced and comprehensive.
"We are fully committed to dedicated short-range communications that can deliver real-time information and data to and between vehicles on the road," said Secretary LaHood. In a related story, CNET reports that IBM will partner with the Texas Transportation Institute to test the next generation of vehicle communications and analytical tools. Read more about this partnership.
Read an article about the DOT’s IntelliDrive Initiative.
Visit the IntelliDrive website.
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