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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Vehicle to Vehicle communication coming, quickly

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration plan to fast-track a proposal that requires all new vehicles to have vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V).

The technology prevents crashes by allowing vehicles to communicate speed, direction, position and other safety-related information. The DOT anticipates that V2V could prevent up to 80 percent of crashes involving unimpaired drivers.

The NHTSA previously announced it was beginning to take the steps towards requiring V2V technology in early 2014. The Office of Management and Budget wasn’t expected to review the rule until late next year. However, Foxx said that the DOT told NHTSA to speed up the process. A rule is now expected to be sent to OMB by the end of the year.

Foxx said the DOT would also accelerate testing on the frequency reserved for V2V. The 5.9 GHz spectrum prevents the communication between vehicles from being compromised.

V2V would also be a necessity for self-driving vehicles to be safe and successful, but the main goal as of now is to help make driving safer.

“The department wants to speed the nation toward an era when vehicle safety isn’t just about surviving crashes; it’s about avoiding them,” Foxx said.

Foxx’s announcement signals communication between vehicles isn’t too far off.

V2V having been put in the fast lane doesn’t mean you can expect your next new vehicle to be ready for the future. Automakers have only started to test and develop the new technology, and then it faces scores of inspections from regulators.