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General Motors announced that they have been developing a technology designed to significantly reduce the amount of vehicle accidents that occur across the United States every year. The technology allows drivers to be more aware of potential hazards on the road or in surrounding areas by using a transponder that communicates with other devices in the immediate area.
This technology could alert drivers to everything from nearby vehicles that may be on a collision course with their vehicle to upcoming traffic signals. There are two different types of systems that GM is testing at the moment; one system uses a dedicated transponder that is installed in a vehicle’s dashboard, while the other uses an application downloaded onto a driver’s smartphone that communicates with a vehicle’s dashboard display.
The transponder is able to communicate with other devices of its kind within a quarter-mile radius, allowing drivers to be alerted to potential hazards that fall within that radius. Taking into consideration the size of the radius that the transponder covers and the potential for averting these accidents when using the transponder, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the technology may effectively reduce the instance of vehicle crashes by as much as 81 percent.
Besides communicating with other transponders in the area, the technology is also able to pick up signals from radios that are connected to construction sites and traffic lights, alerting drivers if traffic lights are turning yellow or red and allowing drivers to know beforehand when they are approaching a construction zone.
Once the transponder is available for widespread use, it may even help reduce the amount of traffic congestion in an area by alerting drivers regarding a need to change lanes before merging becomes an issue.
GM noted that the technology is still in the research and development phase, and that further testing and implementation will take at least another decade to complete. Not only will the technology need to prove consistently effective in tests, but the transponders would need to be installed in every vehicle and synced up with traffic lights and construction zone radios across the country.
