V2V Communication to Enhance Safety and Security on Our Roads

Even though Henry Ford produced some pretty awesome cars for the 1920s, the cars of today are a far cry of luxury compared to the cars of yesteryear and the automobile industry seems to just be getting better with age. Advanced communication is the thing of the future to increase safety and ensure drivers feel more secure while on the road.

Soon all new vehicles will have vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication enabling it to talk with other new vehicles to deliver position and speed information to help with accident prevention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has already agreed to deliver a set of rules for V2V by 2016 while US DOT is pushing NHTSA to deliver it sooner. USDOT is concerned about radio interference issues with V2V and is ready to begin rapid testing as soon as possible.

Here’s how V2V can make driving and drivers safer:

  • Drivers and self-driving cars would be able to “see” things far beyond their own field of vision;
  • Issuance of warnings, such as cars at intersections that aren’t slowing down for a red light or emergency braking of the cars beyond the car directly in front of you; and
  • Left turn assistance, alerting the driver that there’s not enough time to make a turn due to oncoming vehicles.

Originally published in Security Today, May 14, 2015.