The US Transportation Department on 13th Dec 2016 proposed requiring all new cars and trucks to be able to "talk" to one another using short-range wireless technology to potentially avoid crashes.
Regulators, which first announced plans to pursue requiring the technology in early 2014, are proposing to give automakers at least four years to comply from the time it is finalised.
They would require automakers to ensure all vehicles "speak the same language through a standard technology.”
The administration of President-elect Donald Trump will decide whether to finalise the proposal, which does not apply to larger vehicles like buses and tractor trailers.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that talking vehicles could eliminate or reduce the severity of up to 80 percent of crashes where alcohol is not a factor, especially crashes at intersections or while changing lanes.
Last year, there were 6.3 million US vehicle crashes.
Talking cars and trucks would use dedicated short range communications to transmit data up to 300 meters, such as location, direction and speed, to nearby vehicles.
That data would be updated and broadcast up to 10 times per second to nearby vehicles, which can identify risks and provide warnings to drivers to avoid imminent crashes.
The rule would not require vehicles currently on U.S. roads to be retrofitted with the technology.
Federal Highway Administration plans to issue guidance for vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, which will help planners allow vehicles to "talk" to roadway infrastructure such as traffic lights.
