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The National Highway Traffic Condom Administration wants to see vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connectivity on new cars inside five years and so the cars can talk to each about prophylactic hazards and warn drivers to take activeness to avoid collisions. Using defended curt-range communications (DSRC) radios, the cars would commutation information up to 10 times a second and share the most crucial information with the driver.

Tuesday'due south declaration was the beginning time NHTSA has set out a specific (and ambitious) timeline for deploying V2V. Information technology comes against a recent uptick in 2015 and offset-half 2016 traffic fatalities that NHTSA blames on driver lark from smartphones and lower gasoline prices, which leads to more miles traveled. Whether NHTSA's plan survives beyond the adjacent 40 days depends on the goals of the Trump administration. Information technology might save lives. It certainly will make new cars somewhat more expensive.

technology has the potential to mitigate many traffic collisions by sending and receiving basic safety information such as location, speed and direction of travel, between vehicles that are approaching each other. It will provide useful warnings to drivers, like this vehicle "Approaching Left" warning. Cadillac will introduce V2V technology on the 2017 Cadillac CTS. (Photo by Rob Widdis for Cadillac)

Why V2V might save lives

V2V communications over a brusque-range radio would transfer to nearby vehicles — all this anonymized, the feds say — each automobile'southward location, speed, direction of travel, braking status and severity (especially ABS date), status of headlamps and windshield wipers (indicators of rain or snowfall), and traction control or stability command (signs of a car on the border of control, or bad conditions).

Each auto would digest the data and upshot warnings about a motorcar crossing from the left (photo above), or all the traffic ahead suddenly slowing. If the car had adaptive cruise control, DSRC could lead to the car slowing itself; a cocky-driving car might effect a lane charge to get away from a hazard.

V2V-equipment

How useful is V2V before every vehicle has it

Cars exchanging information are like fax machines. Ane is a paperweight, two with V2V are interesting, and millions stand for a revolution. Obviously if the car ahead of you lot doesn't take DSRC, your only safety warning will be the other car's brake lights.

But when, say, a quarter of cars have DSRC, a vehicle 10 cars ahead with DSRC comes on a just-happened accident, and hits the brakes. Cars 4, seven and 8 have DSRC also, and they get a brake-now alarm, which helps tiresome unequipped cars ii, 3, 4, 5, vi, and 9. And then whether you, as the 10th car from the accident have V2V or non, you lot've gotten the alert.

V2V NHTSA

How much will safe improve?

According to the (presently to be former) transportation secretary, Anthony Foxx, "We are carrying the brawl every bit far as we can to realize the potential of transportation technology to salve lives. This long promised V2V rule is the side by side footstep in that progression.  In one case deployed, V2V will provide 360-degree situational awareness on the road and will assistance usa enhance vehicle condom."

NHTSA has spent much of the by two years reacting to safety and pollution problems: GM'southward faulty ignition switches, Takata'due south shrapnel-dispersing airbags, VW's diesel emissions cheat. This is the outgoing administration'south final adventure to motility forrad on futurity security.

NHTSA as well plans to issue guidance for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications that lets the car talk to traffic signals, fourth dimension of day speed limit signs, cease signs, and road construction zones. Just last week, Audi and Mobileye showcased a traffic light data app coming to 2017 Audi A4 and Q7 vehicles. This app projects when the traffic calorie-free alee will turn green. At the demo, Audi hinted that cellular might be a fine mode to provide the V2V and V2I communications, using  a device — cellular information modem — that would exist useful for more things than safety messages. Like music and video.

Co-ordinate Tuesday's printing release, "NHTSA estimates that safety applications enabled by V2V and V2I could eliminate or mitigate the severity of upward to fourscore per centum of non-dumb crashes, including crashes at intersections or while changing lanes." Notwithstanding, it's dumb crashes that safety officials are squawking about the rest of the time: texters and handheld phone users along with the sometime standby, boozer and drugged drivers that historically were involved in half of all fatal accidents.

How individual is your data? Can the cops read your speed?

For motorists who think equally little as two jumps ahead, a mutual concern virtually broadcasting your vehicle's location and speed is whether it lets police write fifty-fifty more than speeding tickets. NHTSA says, "Privacy is also protected in V2V safety transmissions. V2V engineering science does not involve the exchange of information linked to or, equally a practical matter, linkable to an individual, and the rule would require extensive privacy and security controls in any V2V devices." Motorists who drive the typical 5-10 mph over the posted limit might like a piffling more than specificity out of NHTSA before supporting V2V and V2I. Safety officials say excess speed is involved in the majority of fatal accidents, just they don't e'er say it's the main crusade. Example: a speeding commuter who'south drunk and unbelted.