Tampa has been chosen along with New York City and a part of Interstate 80 in Wyoming for purposes of a new connected vehicle pilot program. That will allow certain motor vehicles, traffic control devices, signs, crosswalks, and pedestrians to talk with each other. The program has three objectives. First, its developers want to improve traffic safety by improving the flow of traffic and reducing accidents. After those, they want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the official website, www.tampacvpilot.com, 10 Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) buses and 10 streetcars are participating in this pilot program.
Additionally, the NHTSA predicts that not only will connected vehicles prevent accidents, but that there will be a reduction in the severity of some accidents.
Talking Connected Vehicles
When vehicles communicate with themselves and stationary objects like traffic lights, they use V2V (vehicle to vehicle) technology that is coupled with other new technology. Thus, the talking vehicle transmits information. It tells other talking vehicles and objects where it is, what direction it’s going in and how fast it’s traveling within a range of about 300 yards. The information system even notifies drivers of pedestrians in crosswalks.
In fact, the system updates the information as often as 10 times per second. Then it’s sent to all other talking cars within range for purposes of identifying potential immediate hazards. Combining this technology with automatic braking would drastically reduce motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
V2V Might Become Mandatory
There is no question that the concept of talking cars or talking traffic is rapidly increasing. Assuming that it is reliable in the pilot program. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a rule that would establish an industry standard. This would require all new cars to include the talking vehicle technology. Whether or not a driver wants to use it would be optional. However, it will be illegal for the system to be turned off. On the low end, the NHTSA estimates that the technology will prevent at least 200,000 accidents per year.
Privacy Concerns
Many legislators are of the opinion that sacrificing privacy for preventative technology would be wrong. Proposed security measures to protect drivers and their vehicles have been submitted. Legislators have assured the public they will implement appropriate security measures. More importantly, the security measures will be ready before rolling out this new technology. Drivers won’t be able to obtain any personal information about other drivers. It’s presently unknown whether police will track drivers with the technology.
Reduction of Impact Severity
The NHTSA believes that V2V might reduce the severity of impacts by up to 80 percent of all crashes, especially in those involving intersections and lane changes. About 1,600 private volunteers, 10 buses and 10 streetcars will be equipped with the V2V technology. The vehicles participating in the pilot program are only a tiny segment of the total number of vehicles that are registered in the Tampa area.
Tampa Auto Accident Lawyers
We still intend on being your go-to Tampa Auto Accident Lawyers. Lastly, whether an accident involves V2V technology or the carelessness and negligence of another driver, don’t hesitate to contact the personal injury team at RHINO Lawyers for a free case consultation and review.
