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Michigan International Speedway to Serve as Test Site for Anti-crash Vehicle Technology

Michigan International Speedway was selected by the federal government as one of the six sites where citizen drivers will evaluate technologies that enable vehicles to avoid collisions.The MIS “Connected Vehicle Drive Clinic” will be held for three days in August, according to Jane Mellow, a U.S Department of Transportation spokeswoman. About 100 motorists will drive 16 cars equipped with a variety of technology. Each driver will be paid $150 per one day.

They will test the cars and roadways equipped with sensors and other devices that give advance warning of potential crashes. The technology helps drivers see in blind spots, anticipate upcoming traffic congestion,change lanes more safely and maintain safer distances from other cars. No jobs will be created by these clinics, but MIS’s driving courses made for an attractive location in Brooklyn,Michigan.

"It has been one of Michigan International Speedway's goals since 2009 to work with the public and the private sectors to use our facility as a closed, safe and neutral environment, given our location in the heart of the automobile industry," said Roger Curtis, MIS President.

Similar projects will be held in Dallas, San Francisco, Orlando, Brainerd, Minnesota and Blacksburg, as a part of the Transportation Department’s Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot program. Eight major automakers share the findings of the clinic: Ford, General Motors,Honda, Toyota, Nissan,Hyundai-Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

The results from the test clinics will help Transportation Department officials decide by 2013 whether the crash-avoidance technology is reliable enough so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can begin setting rules requiring automakers to introduce it in new vehicles later this decade.
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