NHTSA OKs vehicle-to-vehicle technology

Washington – Systems that help passenger vehicles avoid crashes by “talking” to each other will someday be a requirement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Feb. 3.

Vehicle-to-vehicle technology shares information such as speed and location, and will alert drivers when it would be unsafe to change lanes, make a left turn into oncoming traffic or make other driving maneuvers, NHTSA stated.

According to the agency, the systems currently being considered for the mandate will not take control of a vehicle away from the driver during emergency situations, but may be allowed to do so in the future.

NHTSA stated that it will publish a report on V2V’s safety benefits and real-world feasibility in “the coming weeks” based on the results of a yearlong pilot road test, and then will begin developing a proposal for the V2V mandate.