• 11
  • November
    2011

The U.S. Department of Transportation is piloting new technology that could dramatically improve highway safety. The move comes as part of an effort to reduce the number of motorists who are killed in fatal car accidents each year.

According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "connected vehicle" technologies can reduce up to 80 percent of vehicle crash types attributable to non-impaired drivers. The technology is especially effective in reducing crashes that occur at intersections or while changing lanes.

The pilot program involves closed-track testing of cars outfitted with "vehicle-to-vehicle" communications systems that alert drivers when a hazard is present. For example, the communications systems will warn a driver if it is unsafe to pass, if another vehicle has stopped suddenly or if a collision is imminent.

The Department of Transportation is inviting members of the public with no prior knowledge of connected vehicles to participate in the pilot. Californians will have a chance to test the vehicles in January 2012.

Program Represents Change in Safety Strategy

The connected vehicles program represents a change in safety strategy for the DOT.

Previously, the government's strategies have been geared toward improving vehicle safety in a way that would help motorists survive a crash. However, even though traffic fatalities are at historic lows, over 32,000 people are still killed in car accidents each year.

The pilot program is all about testing technologies that can help motorists avoid a crash in the first place. Thankfully, the future of this technology looks bright - so far, the pilots have been largely successful and testers report that connected vehicle technology is intuitive and simple to use.

No technology can completely erase the consequences of another driver's negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact an experienced California personal injury attorney who can help protect your rights.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "U.S. Department of Transportation Hosts Research Clinic to Test 'Connected Vehicle Technology,'" Oct. 19, 2011.