Research Rest-Stop │ Vehicle to Vehicle Communications

Every Wednesday, the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU) highlights some interesting research related to or innovations in transportation, sustainability, or energy.

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Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication may seem like something out of science fiction, but the Department of Transportation is studying this very technology to improve safety for drivers.  The concept is simple – vehicles constantly send and receive location and movement information to each other, which creates a 360 degree awareness of the position of other vehicles and nearby threats or hazards.  The system inside the car process the data, calculates risk, and then issues a warning to the driver or takes pre-emptive action to avoid or mitigate collisions. 

V2V systems are designed to provide drivers with: emergency brake warnings, forward collision warnings, intersection movement assist, blind spot and lane change warnings, do not pass warnings, and control loss warnings.

Recently, drivers in six communities across the country evaluated the V2V technology in test driving clinics.  An overwhelming majority of the drivers agreed that the new V2V technology would improve road safety and wanted to have V2V features in their own cars. 

This new technology has great potential to improve transportation safety in all of Philadelphia. Changing lanes in Center City during rush hour will be much easier when you can see that other car, or that bicyclist in your blind spot.

Interested? Learn more about V2V and its potential at the Department of Transportation’s news blog, or at the Research Overview.