New “Talking Vehicles” Technology May Reduce Car Accidents
New technology may significantly curb the number of motor vehicle accidents seen on roadways in the future. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed new rules that would require all new passenger vehicles to be equipped with “vehicle-to-vehicle” communication technologies that could prevent a substantial portion of crashes.
On December 13, the NHTSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that calls for use of the V2V technology, also known as collision avoidance technologies, in all newly manufactured vehicles. These new technologies would allow vehicles to actually “talk” to each other and employ a variety of crash-avoidance applications to prevent many of the most common types of accidents. Accidents involving drowsy and distracted drivers would particularly benefit from the vehicle addition.
“Advanced vehicle technologies may well prove to be the silver bullet in saving lives on our roadways,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind stated on the organization’s website. “V2V and automated vehicle technologies each hold great potential to make our roads safer, and when combined, their potential is untold.”
How V2V works
V2V technologies take road safety to the next level by using dedicated short-range radio communication devices that allow vehicles to actually communicate with one another. Relayed messages might include the vehicle’s speed and brake status. Technologies also allow vehicles to “see” longer distances, around corners and through other vehicles, which gives drivers advanced reaction time to avoid potential collisions.
These technologies, first designed for larger vehicles like trucks and buses, have been modified to work in lighter vehicles as well. In fact, development of light V2V communications has been stepped up in recent years in an effort to get the technologies onto the nation’s roadways as quickly as possible. The NHTSA estimates that these technologies could eliminate or reduce the severity of motor vehicle accidents by as much as 80 percent. This could include some of the most common instances of crashes, such as those occurring in intersections or while drivers are changing lanes.
Combining vehicle safety measures
While the V2V communications could be highly effective when used alone, they become even more beneficial when combined with other types of safety technology like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. In addition to the V2V recommendations, the NHTSA plans to set guidelines on vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, which would allow vehicles to talk to infrastructure like stop signs and traffic lights.
The Los Angeles car accident attorneys at Ellis Injury Law commend any and all efforts to make our roadways safer for all. However, despite those best efforts, accidents can and will happen. If you are the victim of one of these crashes, the consequences can be life-changing. Proper legal representation will help protect your rights and get you the compensation necessary to make up for medical bills, lost wages and other losses. Contact Ellis Injury Law today at 310-641-3335 for a free case review and answers to all of your legal questions.