A real-world test of almost 3,000 vehicles in a Michigan university town will help determine whether the U.S. next year mandates equipment that lets cars “talk” to one another.
The Ann Arbor, Mich., test connects vehicles in traffic so the government can study how drivers use the technologies and how much safer they make driving. Information collected will help the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decide whether to require such devices.
The $14.9 million test includes vehicles with wireless devices that, coupled with global positioning systems, let them communicate with cars and with roadside equipment to help prevent accidents and minimize congestion. Information could also warn drivers about potential collisions as well as traffic jams, disabled vehicles and lane closures.
“This is a big day for safety,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “We’ll use this information to decide if vehicle technology can be applied to daily lives.”
Eighty percent of crashes in which the drivers aren’t impaired by drugs or alcohol could be prevented — or the severity reduced — if cars could talk to one another.
