Dec. 14, 2016—The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday floated new measures that would require vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications technology in all light-duty vehicles, in an effort to help limit road accidents through the implementation of crash avoidance applications.
The DOT’s proposed rulemaking would allow vehicles to communicate with one another over dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), and would provide warnings to drivers to help avoid potential crashes. The DOT believes V2V technologies could lessen the severity of up to 80 percent of typical crashes. The measures could be helpful in limiting crashes while changing lanes, or at intersections, for example.
“We are carrying the ball as far as we can to realize the potential of transportation technology to save lives,” said U.S. Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx. “This long promised V2V rule is the next step in that progression. Once deployed, V2V will provide 360-degree situational awareness on the road and will help us enhance vehicle safety.”
The proposed law would utilize DSRC to transmit data such as location, speed, and direction to nearby vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board says that applications facilitated by V2V could include Intersection Movement Assist, Left Turn Assist, Emergency Electronic Brake Light, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Warning, and Do Not Pass Warning.
The proposed rules would require extensive privacy and security controls in V2V devices.
