To make all that happen, suppliers would have to combine the DSRC capabilities with onboard GPS (global positioning systems). That way, vehicles would know where they are. They'd know the other vehicles around them. They'd know if they should stay in their lanes or slow down. And by talking to other vehicles and to municipalities, they'd know if a street is slippery or if there's construction a few miles ahead.
For now, all of this still depends on alert drivers. Vehicles would give notice to drivers in a variety of ways, including lights on the windshield or atop the dashboard. Eventually, the vehicles might start making decisions themselves, overriding drivers and commandeering the brakes or steering wheel when necessary. However, that is not part of the near-term view of the technology.
Consumer Reports, which tested eight DSRC-equipped vehicles from eight different manufacturers, agreed with the NHTSA that there was real value in the technology.
"It could definitely save lives," Barth told us. "There were scenarios where you'd be testing the vehicle and you'd say, 'Gee, that nearly happened to me the other day.'"
Not everyone agrees with this vision of the future. When we wrote about it in November, many readers were unimpressed. JimZ asked in a comment, "Has anyone considered what will happen if drivers become even less attentive when they believe that V2V is assuming responsibility for driving their vehicle?" And jimwilliams57 said, "I'll continue to use the old fashioned method of avoiding accidents: stay awake; stay alert and stay aware."
Some automakers are also concerned about extra costs, especially given the industry's recent economic troubles. "Understanding what the transceiver might cost, it begins to look like a pretty enormous undertaking," an industry executive told us in 2008. "It always leads back to the question: 'How does this get paid for?' Automakers can't take a $100 hit per car."
But as a possible mandate looms on the horizon in the next few years, Consumer Reports' support may be a sign that V2V is gaining ground.
"NHTSA's figures indicate that about 80 percent of lives that are lost could be saved with this technology," Barth said. "That's really a staggering number."
Definitely a technology to keep on the radar screen. While I do think V2V Communications has life saving potential, as with any of these emerging technologies, there are questions about it, more in the short term, before it's fully evolved. One thing that occurs to me is say all these new vehicles are equipped with the sensing, receivers, and GPS technology to make this work, what about the older vehicles that don't have the requisite technology on board? All it takes is one of these to blow a stop sign and any driver in the cross path depending on his or her onboard warning system is toast.
I sure hope designers are paying attention to security! I can see it now, in the short term when the car only gives the driver warnings: Kids on the side of the road with a rogue transmitter telling passing cars the non-existent light ahead will be turning red... or later when the car makes decisions for you, the same scenario making the car stop!!
Then there are the criminal intents, the privacy issues (each car would be uniquely identifiable i'm sure), plus unintentional interference (or intentional jamming).
The way automotive electronics systems have been designed thus far isn't very comforting.
I'm not saying it should be abandoned, just that we need to make sure it is implemented correctly!
We'll have to install these transmitters on deer and other critters too, so when they cross roads, cars are aware! :)
Like with any technology it always sounds great at first. Given the propensity of today's drivers to be distracted already with much more important tasks such as phone conversing, reading, texting, etc in the car, would MORE information make them pay attention? Maybe if the system sent them a text message..."WARNING, Idiot driver in cross traffic at the upcoming intersetion is about to run a red light!" Then the driver may pay attention!
Existing technology of machine to machine, or M2M is commonplace today. Expanding the concept to moving vehicles is logical and now even an obvious step in the right direction. Start today, and within 10 years, all cars on the road will transmit and receive V2V signaling in various protocols.
However, the article further eludes that a GPS interface is also necessary.I disagree, and think that while GPS is critical in providing LBS (location based services), the entire concept of V2V could be more streamlined in incorporating the right solutions without incurring the cost and complexities of GPS based LBS.Think about it: would I want my vehicle to sense another oncoming vehicle with a readable signal; or is it better to get the same result after routing the signaling thru the celestial constellation systems-?
In China where driving about one inch from the car next to you is accepted, it is common for cars to have proximity sensors on them to alert the driver when he is too close to another vehicle. If M2M can do the same task, I would say that it is worth it.
I really wonder how this would work in some countries. As Tim says, in China, it would be problematic. I do not have any experience of Asia, but in Europe, where I lived for a while, it would be similar. I lived in England, which is much more like here. I also drove extensively in Germany and Scandnavia. In all these countries, I felt much like the more sane parts of the US. There were many countries where I would not drive, such as Italy or France. I also did not drive in Athens. Drivers would very much have to adapt to the system or it would be worthless.
JimT, I agree with you. V2V is not a location issue. Now, GPS would be nice for traffic avoidance, etc., but that is already incorporated into many car navigation systems. As is typical in these efforts requirements get out of hand.
I also wonder how useful these systems will be unless there is some aspect of automatic operation by the system. There are cars that have some of the features discussed here. Of course, they don't have the V2V part, but using other sensors they give lots of warnings. I was in such a car, in a downtown environment. The driver and I were deep in a conversation and the car was talking up a storm as well. The driver basically ignored everything he was being told. So, I have to wonder...
Beth, you've hit on one of the essential issues of V2V: Until everyone has it, the value is greatly diminished. If some vehicles don't have it, I can't depnd on it.
Charles, it seems a direct to direct talk version of early warning systems using sensors. In early warning system sensors are measuring the distance between nearby objects are giving some warning signals. In v 2 v communication model, I would eager to know about the frequency allocation without collision or frequency hopping.
I dont see any big issue with this V2V communication system eventually the technology will come into use when driverless cars are in full production. Thats the only way its applications can make technical sense and work with almost zero errors.For now there is no need to implement the technology in current vehicle versions.It wont achieve the intended results.
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