U.S. Government Requiring New Crash-Prevention Technology

Earlier this month, the U.S.federal government announced measures to require automobile-to-automobile safety technology in all new cars and trucks. While certain make and model vehicles on the market already have this technology, this announcement is a major development in automobile safety, as ALL new cars and trucks must feature it. So, how will this affect the automobile industry?

The new technology is designed to reduce the amount of automobile-related injuries and accidents by sensing other vehicles on the road. If a driver veers too far into another driver's lane, it will sense the other vehicle and alert the driver. Another example would be a front-end monitoring and cut-off system that automatically presses the brakes when you approach a car's bumper. It's a relatively simple form of technology when compared to all of the high-end gadgets available today.

This type of automobile safety technology is known as vehicle-to-vehilce (V2V), and it essentially allows cars to communicate with each other. Cars on the road will exchange data with one another, including their speed, position, and make/model. When a car approaches another car, the two will share this data automatically to help reduce the chance of a collision.

Up until now, automakers have focused primarily on traditional safety measures, such as airbags, seat belts and collision damage. But turning a blind eye to the V2V technology that's currently available is a serious mistake that may lead to further accidents. The government hopes to make the roads just a little bit safer by requiring all new vehicles to possess V2V technology.

Not everyone's on board with the idea of V2V technology, however. Some people believe it's a violation of privacy, as vehicles are allowed to send and receive data without the driver's consent.

Gloria Bergquist, spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said the following:

"What remains to be addressed is security and privacy, along with consumer acceptance, affordability, achieving the critical mass to enable the 'network effect' and establishment of the necessary legal and regulatory framework. In light of today's announcement, the FCC should maintain the (radio) spectrum for safety-critical auto systems until thorough testing is complete."

There's no official word on when exactly we'll see V2V technology in all new cars and trucks. Federal regulators are currently talking with the FCC to reserve a frequency specifically for vehicle communications. Even with all of the ground they've gained, it may still take years before new cars are fitted with V2V technology.