Under the proposed rule, all new cars and like trucks would communicate wirelessly not just with one another, but with traffic lights and other roadway infrastructure. NHTSA officials say the technology has the potential to transform driving and dramatically slash the number of traffic deaths every year. The rule would be mandatory for all new model vehicles, if the rule is approved.

So how exactly would this work? Well first, it’s important to outline what V2V is. It is a type of crash avoidance technology that hinges on the communication of information between nearby vehicles that can warn drivers about possibly hazardous situations that might lead to a collision. For instance, V2V technology could alert a driver that the vehicle up ahead is breaking, so they need to slow down. It could also inform a motorist that it isn’t safe to go through an intersection because another vehicle – one that can’t yet be seen by the driver – is fast approaching that same intersection. The information communicated would involve short-range data (about 300 meters) that would include other vehicle information such as:

• Location
• Speed
• Direction
• Breaking status

This information exceeds what can be gleaned from the current cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors that many vehicles are currently affixed with. V2V communications can also detect a threat much sooner than camera sensors or radar. In fact, the data is shot out at a rate of about 10 times per second.more

The proposed rule is actually more than a decade in the making, and involves input from auto manufacturers, as well as state, federal and local transportation departments and academic institutions.

Those who study the technology say it will provide a 360-degree awareness of what’s happening all around us, which could prevent or mitigate the severity of approximately 80 percent of car accidents that don’t involve alcohol or drugs. There are approximately 30,000 fatal crashes in the U.S every year, and roughly a third of those involve drunk drivers.

The Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers has said it is reviewing the exact proposal, but overall agrees that V2V is likely to be an asset offered complementary to other automated safety features that are available in many new model vehicles. The proposal would require all of these systems to essentially speak the same language with some standardized messages so that drivers wouldn’t have a false sense of security just because another nearby vehicle didn’t “talk” to theirs.

In addition to helping to prevent crashes, the technology also has the potential to help reduce congestion. Traffic lights would have an idea of how long they should stay green because they would be able to sense the level of traffic. That could help lower unnecessary wait times. The technology could also alert drivers if there is a a great deal of congestion on a planned route, allowing motorists the opportunity to plan an alternate route.

Call Fort Lauderdale Injury Attorney Richard Ansara at (954) 761-4011. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

Additional Resources:

Government to Require Cars Be Able to Talk to Each Other, Dec. 13, 2016, Associated Press

More Blog Entries:

Delray Beach Intersection Won’t Get New Light, Despite Fatal Crash, Dec. 10, 2016, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The Sun Sentinel reports the crossing at Federal Highway and Northeast First Street will be updated over the next several months to include:

• A sign for motorists on Federal Highway, notifying them of the upcoming intersection;
• A sign for motorists on Northeast First Street, to notify them cross traffic won’t stop;
• Larger stop signs for those traveling both directions on Northeast First Street;
• Relocation of a garbage can and bench that reportedly obstruct motorists’ views.

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The site was where an 82-year-old Uber driver was killed trying to cross Federal Highway in his sport utility vehicle. As he did so, a 60-year-old in a Lamborghini slammed into him, according to police. The sports car driver, a mulitmillionaire who owns a fitness club chain, had reportedly spent the afternoon drinking in downtown Delray Beach with his girlfriend. Authorities have cited alcohol and speed as possible factors in the crash, though the other driver has not been cited as of this writing. The police investigation is ongoing.

A representative for the city said the crash, along with previous complaints regarding obstructed views at the intersection, prompted traffic engineers to take a closer look at whether additional improvements were necessary. Several residents had proposed installing a traffic light. However, this is considered a “big-ticket” item, and officials weren’t eager to install it if it wasn’t necessary. The city spokesman said that while this accident was a tragedy, driver misbehavior – such as drinking and speeding – can’t be controlled with “signs and lights.”

That may be true to an extent. However, our Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers know that speed and alcohol use are both foreseeable incidents on the roadway. In fact, both occur each and every day, perpetuated by drivers across the country. Traffic engineers can’t prevent all possible outcomes, but they can anticipate drivers being irresponsible and plan certain features accordingly. Many traffic-calming measures exist to slow speeders, including:

• Vertical Deflection (i.e., “speed bumps”);
• Horizontal Deflection (i.e., traffic circles and roundabouts);
• Horizontal Narrowing (neckdowns, center islands, chokers);
• Posting warning signs and signals (i.e., “SLOW,” lowered speed limits, flashing strobe lights, hazards).

Interestingly, signs that warn of children in the area aren’t known effectively reduce driver speeds.

This is not to say that cities MUST put these measures in place everywhere. However, the failure to do so at problem intersections or stretches of road could result in a finding of liability.

Here, the city has promised that the improvements that are moving forward will be completed rather quickly, considering they are not expensive or time-consuming to install. The best estimate for completion date is January 2017. Those changes will reportedly be reviewed every six months.

Meanwhile, the wife of the Uber driver has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Lamborghini driver, seeking compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses and mental pain and anguish.

Call Fort Lauderdale Injury Attorney Richard Ansara at (954) 761-4011. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

Additional Resources:

No traffic light needed at intersection of Delray Beach fatal crash, study shows, Nov. 16, 2016, By Adam Sacasa, The Sun-Sentinel

More Blog Entries:

Motorcycle Riders in Construction Zones Face Hazards, Nov. 11, 2016, Fort Lauderdale Wrongful Death Lawyer Blog