According to Mark Edwards, Director of Traffic Safety at the American Automobile Association, approximately 25 to 50 percent of all car crashes in the U.S. are caused by distracted drivers. To reduce the likelihood, http://www.toppersonalinjurylawyers.com/ and other major cities welcome the addition of driver safety technology with the potential of reducing the number of annual car crashes.
Vehicle to Vehicle Technology on the Way
The National Highway Traffic Safety agency is considering policy that would require automakers to manufacture vehicles with new communication technology. If implemented, the policy could save thousands of lives by some estimates. The new mandates could be implemented as soon as 2013. If the agency decides to officially move forward with the policy, it could take a few years before the legislation is actually passed.
What does the car communication technology do?
The technology is described as a “baseline communication” system that helps vehicles communicate driving activity of others in close proximity. For example, if a nearby vehicle runs the risk of running a red light, the driver affected would be alerted to this behavior. The technology would then in turn instruct the driver to slow or adjust driving habits to avoid an accident.
What are the benefits of the technology?
In addition to being able to save taxpayers billions annually on auto accident-related expenses and http://www.toppersonalinjurylawyers.com/ fees, the technology could save thousands of lives each year. Rear-end collisions, intersection crashes, and collisions involving lane switches could be almost eliminated altogether, preliminary research suggests. Eighty percent of accidents could be prevented with this technology in place, experts say.
Under review
The agency is currently evaluating the technology to review its potential. Currently, 2,800 vehicles have been included in the pilot program to be completed in Michigan. All of the vehicles are equipped with the vehicle-to-vehicle technology. The evaluation period will continue for a year, ending in 2013. The program will reportedly test vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.
Approximately 25 percent of the cars manufactured and in use will have the technology in a few years. In a recent study conducted by J.D. Power & Associates, 37 percent of drivers surveyed indicated an interest in purchasing a self-driving vehicle technology.
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