Researchers launch year long trial program of smart cars that have the ability to “talk” to each other

Cars that drive themselves aren’t new, and with our phones getting smarter, we don’t see why our cars can’t get smarter either. Researchers at the University of Michigan have announced that they will be launching a year-long test program of what they are referring to as smart car technology. Basically the goal of this technology is to help reduce the number of accidents on the road involving unimpaired drivers by up to 80%! That’s certainly a lofty goal and we hope that they are able to achieve it.

Basically what these researchers did was they installed wireless communication devices in about 3,000 vehicles. These vehicles include passenger cars, trucks and buses, and the installed devices will allow these vehicles to talk to each other. The information conveyed will contain data on location, direction, speed along with information on traffic lights and road signs. The testing area will be limited to roads and highway sites in northeast Ann Arbor. By talking to each other, cars will be able to alert drivers both visually and audibly when a nearby car brakes suddenly, or switches lane without warning.

It certainly sounds like it has the potential to reduce accidents, although we’re not sure when this technology will be commercialized and installed in vehicles in the future, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed!