Vehicle Communication System to be Developed by University of Michigan

Driving accidents tend to increase numbers as more cars are traveling across the roads nowadays. In order to avoid or at least reduce the figures the University of Michigan has been elected to run a on year pilot program studying systems designed to alert drivers of possible accidents ahead or behind from other vehicles. The program will involve up to 3,000 vehicles in Ann Arbor that are equipped with wireless communication systems in order to reduce crashes by warning motorists of other drivers’ behavior on the road.

"We envision connected-vehicle technology as a platform to save many lives on America's roads and foster innovations we've yet to imagine -- a game-changer for vehicle safety. When completed, the pilot will demonstrate firsthand how connected vehicles communicate in the real world, bringing us a step closer to what could be the next major safety breakthrough," David Strickland, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was quoted as saying by Detroit Free Press.

The pilot program will start in August 2012 and will be on for one year. During this time the 3,000, cars, trucks and transit vehicles will drive the streets of Ann Arbor being equipped with the testing systems.

"The pilot deployment of vehicles that 'see' and 'talk' with one another with the help of wireless communication will allow us to learn how drivers use electronic alerts to avoid crashes in a real-world environment," Peter Appel, administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, as the aforementioned source quotes.