New technology would allow cars to communicate

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Drivers have been able to communicate with each other in their cars for years, but what if cars could communicate with each other, too?

Soon, that could be a possibility – with a technology called vehicle to vehicle or V2V communication.

According to car manufacturers, the technology could help warn drivers of dangerous situations on the roads before they happen.

Call 12 For Action has learned the Department of Transportation is working toward requiring V2V technology to be in all cars sold in the U.S.

“Our goal is to see this technology put in place as soon as possible,” said transportation secretary Anthony Foxx.

Equipping all cars with the technology will essentially allow vehicles to see each other and warn of a potential danger well before a driver sees it.

The newly proposed rule will call for standard V2V to be phased in over a period of years, but it still must clear administrative hurdles and a public comment period.

Officials say V2V uses technology similar to wifi and allows cars in close proximity with one another to share information, like speed and direction. The information will be shared several times a second, allowing the car to warn a driver before changing lanes or about a hazard ahead.

Some newer cars already come equipped with blind spot detection and automatic braking to prevent some collisions.

V2V-enabled vehicles may also be able to communicate with infrastructure, like stop lights, letting drivers know how long until an upcoming light will change.

According to Jamie Kitman, the New York bureau chief for Automobile Magazine, the technology could be lifesaving, but he believes it will be a number of years before security issues, like hacking and privacy, are fully addressed.

“You are going to be able to be tracked like never been tracked before,” he said.

According to the Department of Transporation, V2V could help prevent up to 80-percent of crashes. The technology is estimated to cost $100 per vehicle, but the price should go down as time goes on.Copyright 2016 WPRI