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What is V2V and Can it Keep You Safer When You Drive?

Vehicle to vehicle communication, also known as V2V, refers to the ability of a vehicle to exchange info wirelessly with other vehicles. They can share info about their speed, position, and other factors that could help reduce car accidents, lower traffic congestion, and even have a positive impact on the environment.

However, these can only have a true impact when many vehicles are able to communicate with each other. This is why the National Highway Traffic Safety Association has worked with the auto industry and universities for more than ten years to find ways to use V2V to save lives.

Learn More about V2V

According to one study, about 65,000 car accidents could have been prevented in the last decade if these symptoms were standard. They work by giving information ten times each second so that all vehicles around them that use the technology will have 360-degree awareness of what other vehicles are doing and are about to do.

These messages can help vehicles not just react to hazards that have already happened but to hazards that are about to happen. If the vehicle notes that something is about to happen, a variety of alerts can be used to communicate with the driver, including visual, tactile, and audible alerts. The driver can then take action to prevent the accident.

The communication messages can be sent to vehicles more than 300 meters away. They can detect hazards even when those hazards are hidden by weather, traffic, or terrain. This makes them even better equipped to save lives than crash avoidance systems that rely on radars and cameras.

V2V Can Do More Than Help Drivers

Just about any vehicle could potentially use V2V, including cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles. One day, pedestrians and bikes may even be able to use this technology to make sure that drivers know where they are. Note that the vehicle info does not identify vehicles or drivers, and the controls have measures in place to prevent tampering.

Some Believe the Impact Could Be Huge

Consider that in 2017, there were 6.5 million car accidents reported to the police. This led to the loss of 37,133 lives and caused 2.7 million injuries. If these tools were in place, those lives could potentially have been saved.

Is V2V going to prevent 100% of accidents? It is not likely. Should it be installed in place of other safety measures? At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas we believe that the best option is to use these in conjunction with other accident avoidance systems. If you have been involved in an accident and need to know your options, contact us at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.