DOT to Enable Light Vehicles with V2V Technology
The agency announced that it will allow light vehicles to be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology.
DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced plans to take steps that would enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology for light vehicles, according to a the agency's news release. V2V technology is intended to improve the safety of light vehicles on the highway by allowing drivers to communicate to one another and avoid crashes.
The technology works by exchanging basic safety data (including speed and position) at a rate of ten times per second. DOT research suggests that safety applications that use V2V technology could possibly help lower the number of crashes that include two or more vehicles. The technology allows vehicles to identify driving risks and warn other drivers of impending safety problems.
DOT pointed out that safety applications currently being developed "provide warnings to drivers so that they can prevent imminent collisions, but do not automatically operate any vehicle systems, such as braking or steering." NHTSA is also considering taking future action on active safety technology that relies on on-board sensors, which would eventually blend with V2V technology. The agency clarified that V2V technology does not involve recording or exchanging personal information or tracking vehicle movements—it merely contains safety data.