| With everyone over the age of 13 seeming to carry a | | | | construction in an organized manner. A car-connected |
| cell phone, there's a whole lot of texting and talking | | | | network of electronic information could give future |
| going on in today's world. So it shouldn't come as a | | | | dialed-in vehicles an automatic advantage over |
| surprise to anyone that we are entering an age of | | | | non-equipped vehicles. |
| advanced technology in which our cars will be in | | | | A vehicle-to-vehicle-equipped car constantly sends |
| real-time communication with the cars around them. | | | | information about its position, accurate to 2.5 meters |
| Our vehicles will be able to share useful data that will | | | | (half the width of a highway lane), and its direction of |
| help us get to where we need to go more efficiently | | | | travel (compass heading). Optionally, V2V might send |
| and more safely. Using a combination of global | | | | data on the vehicle size - 4,000-lb. car or 80,000-lb. |
| positioning navigation devices, short-distance radio | | | | semi-trailer - and lane-change intentions, or at least |
| communication and input from existing in-vehicle | | | | whether or not the left turn signal is blinking. A driver's |
| sensors, which is also referred to as Dedicated Short | | | | car would receive data from other cars nearby. |
| Range Communications (DSRC), cars equipped with | | | | Crash avoidance is also part of the plan. For instance, |
| vehicle-to-vehicle communications (V2V) can tell each | | | | you're traveling down the highway and a disabled |
| other where they are and calculate whether danger | | | | vehicle is ahead on the road. Suppose you encounter |
| threatens. | | | | a brief distraction that minimizes your ability to notice |
| Welcome to the world of car-to-car safety | | | | the disabled vehicle. As your car and the disabled |
| networking. And most intriguing of all, it's affordable in | | | | vehicle begin to communicate with each other, the |
| comparison to much of the other advanced | | | | disabled vehicle's brake and backup lights could begin |
| technology in the pipeline. All your car needs is a GPS | | | | to flash. On the IP of your vehicle, a warning flashes, |
| receiver, an economical, short-range radio working at | | | | the seat vibrates and the anti-lock brakes bring the |
| 5.4 GHz (the unlicensed frequency also used by WiFi) | | | | vehicle safely to a stop, short of disaster, all with no |
| and a connection to the braking system. Of course, | | | | driver interference. This type of networked |
| the effectiveness of V2V safety networking will never | | | | communication could have a dramatic impact in terms |
| be fully realized until a majority of vehicles on the road | | | | of saving lives and saving money. |
| are in the network, but that day may be here sooner | | | | Naturally, there will be many potential features that will |
| than you think. And you won't have to buy a new car | | | | spring up as this type of technology begins to unfold. |
| to get in on the fun. Because the technology is | | | | Some of us may not appreciate the benefits, as some |
| uncomplicated, unequipped cars can be easily | | | | of these features will likely raise privacy concerns. |
| retrofitted at a very reasonable cost. | | | | Similar to how some states utilize electronic toll |
| The prospects of such technology are dizzying and | | | | collection through transponders mounted on |
| government agencies such as the National Highway | | | | windshields, V2V technology could take this type of |
| Traffic Safety Administration are looking to integrate | | | | tracking capability to a more wide-sweeping scale. |
| DSRC into roadway infrastructure, including stoplights | | | | There may come a day when you receive a traffic |
| and traffic monitoring systems. And once the | | | | ticket in the mail, which includes highly detailed |
| government gets its interest piqued, you can expect a | | | | information including the exact location of where the |
| lot of momentum directed at this technology. | | | | transgression occurred, exact speed at the time of the |
| Vehicle-to-vehicle technology is truly a big leap. If | | | | transgression and perhaps even pictures of your |
| vehicles are able to communicate with one another, | | | | vehicle while in the act. You may receive a revised |
| the need for traditional traffic control devices could | | | | automotive insurance premium notice from your agent, |
| become a thing of the past. Setting speeds based on | | | | with a higher rate since it's become obvious, now that |
| road and traffic conditions is one possibility. Traffic also | | | | you have vehicle-to-vehicle communications, that you |
| could be tailored so that more cars can safely occupy | | | | were seriously under reporting your annual mileage, |
| the same stretch of road. Delays and wasted gas at | | | | which can now be very accurately measured. |
| stoplights could be significantly reduced, and the cost | | | | Clearly, V2V technology will have its challenges, but |
| of roadway infrastructure could come down. Traffic | | | | once we're all connected, there can be no doubt that |
| might be easily rerouted around accidents or road | | | | our roads will be safer places to travel. |