Car Talk

Could cars talk to each other directly to make the streets safer?

By Corey Binns Posted 05.06.2009 at 11:09 am 5 Comments

Networking the Streets Graham Murdoch

Car accidents kill 115 people a day in the U.S. and cost an annual $230 billion. Cautious drivers can avoid only so much danger, especially when it's a car running a red light, or a truck that pops out of a blind spot. But commuting could get safer with new in-car technology that warns you of that vehicle just around the corner — and even hits the brakes for you.

Most car communication networks in development use the same Wi-Fi chips found in your laptop. But those units were made to pick up a signal from the router on your bookshelf, not dozens of signals zipping by at 50 mph and creating "digital echoes" as they reflect off buildings. So the Australian company Cohda Wireless designed a Wi-Fi chip with a receiver that better tracks a moving signal and algorithms that filter out interference. The radio broadcasts a car's location and speed to every similarly equipped vehicle within at least 500 feet. Thinking about passing an 18-wheeler? The chip detects an oncoming car's signal and sounds a warning.

In 700 two-car trials, the company's radio warned drivers of oncoming danger 21 seconds in advance — 18 seconds faster than similar systems. If a large-scale test later this year in Australia goes well, the tech could reach consumers by 2012. In the future, says Paul Alexander, Cohda's chief technical officer, it could integrate with automatic steering and braking to respond to immediate hazards.

Auto-safety experts estimate that the system could reduce car-accident deaths by up to 50 percent. "It's a bold claim," Alexander says, "but people's inattention is a big factor in road accidents. Technology is always on — it's always thinking and always aware."

Street Savvy Communication: Graham Murdoch

Collision Avoidance: Vehicles transmit their speed and position to cars within at least 500 feet, 10 times per second [A]. Onboard computers analyze the data and warn the driver of, for example, imminent collision with a car running a red light [B].

Traffic Updates: Each car's radio unit records road conditions and backed-up traffic [C] as it travels and uploads the data to light-pole-mounted units [D], which relay real time conditions to traffic-control centers and suggest detours [E] to drivers.

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5 Comments

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caricue

05/06/09 at 12:14 pm

Why not go all the way and let the computer take control in dangerous situations and stop cars from hitting each other at all. I say go for 100% accident reduction.

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dontbother

05/06/09 at 1:17 pm

We can never go all the way. Computers crash and they can only do what they are programmed to.

I watched a man drive off the side of a mountain on my way up skiing. He said the "anti" slip power distribution gave incorrect amount of power to the left side wheels of the card forcing an acceleration. Drove right off. He didn't roll but needed a new car afterwards. He said there was nothing he could do.

Look at the recent airbus accidents. The Saudi's buy a new plane, landing gear down they have the engines fired up for a test. The computer thinks: "why would the engine be fired up unless we are taking off?" It overrides the human decision and releases the breaks, causing a billion dollar just built jet to crash. Airbus has had several problems like that related to the computer it was right.

We don't need computers to help us. JUST PAY ATTENTION when you drive. Simple. Be aware of everything that's around you, keep your head on a swivel, and check your mirrors.

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jward23

05/06/09 at 3:06 pm

For one, people will always have issues paying attention, everyone is guilty at one time or another. My guess is that dontbother has driven while speaking on the cell phone. That is in and of itself a distraction. Don't give me that you "drive safely" while talking on the cell phone, it's the same excuse drunk drivers use. In a survey 88% of drivers said that they are above average drivers. Obviously most people have an over inflated sense of their ow ability to drive.

So given that people will drive while distracted I believe that computer technology to assist drivers can be helpful.

The problem is that it will be very difficult for the technology to be adopted due to liability. Let's say a new technology saves 2,000 lives a year. But lets also say it fails on occasion, killing 20 people a year. So overall it saves 1,980 lives a year, but the 20 people's families where it failed take the company to court and sue the company into bankruptcy. So much for the technology.

The only way it could work is for legislation to be passed limiting the amount of liability for the manufacturers of such technology.

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bdhoro87

from coral gables, fl

05/06/09 at 4:06 pm

Didn't PopSci have an article about removing traffic lights in Denmark or something? And there were less accidents because people drove more cautiously because they didn't have the perception of being safe.

I think the effect computers driving like that could have on people is they will drive much less safely, believing that the computer will prevent any accidents.

Having a little warning signal is nice though, but I wouldn't want the car to do much besides brake-assist - I want to feel like I'm driving the car, not the car driving me. I'd rather cause my own accident than watch as the computer crashes me. I sure hope the government doesn't get involved in this type of tech, just another thing for them to screw up.

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ford2go

05/07/09 at 1:05 am

This system would be immensely complex and difficult to implement. EVERY vehicle has to be equipped or it breaks down in a hurry. (Everybody will assume that it's 100%).

Yes, it's wonderful new tech, but it isn't anywhere near proven. 700 two car trials. What's going to happen when they get to 100 car trials? No, there aren't 100 cars withn 500 feet, but the system is going to have to be making and breaking contacts at a pretty good rate in normal traffic.

And let's not forget the ever popular interference and shielding.

Rather than all of these piecemeal solutions, it would be preferable to provide some sort of standard automated approach, starting with the most critical areas. If your vehicle wasn't equipped -- you couldn't go there. This would also require strict vehicle inspections to make sure that the tech was still there.