# Dept Transportation announces plans for new anti collision technology. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462 "2014-02-03T23:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/1 "2014-02-03T23:09:18Z")
The Dept of Transportation’s recommendations were announced today. It seems like a good idea that should be developed. I’m puzzled how the system will work in heavy traffic. It seems like that many signals from cars would be a cacophony that even a computer couldn’t make sense of. They’ll probably have a vehicle ID (VIN) in the signal to sort out which cars are on the road near you. Traffic will be challenging for the system designers. I wonder how much control the system will have over a car? Say someone wanted to change lanes and pass. But there’s a car coming 400 ft away. Will the car refuse to accelerate and let you pass someone? That could be more dangerous than letting the driver pass and get back into his lane. > **[U.S. regulators plan car-to-car communications to prevent accidents](https://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-nhtsa-rules-car-to-car-communications-20140203-story.html)** > > The Department of Transportation will push the development of a short-range radio system aimed at stopping crashes by allowing cars to exchange basic facts about speed and direction to other vehicles as fast at 10 times a second. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_TALKING\_CARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-03-10-48-29](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TALKING_CARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-03-10-48-29) > [@](#): > > “This is just the beginning of a revolution in roadway safety,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Monday. > > “I don’t think you can understate the significance of having vehicles that are smart enough to recognize that an accident is about to happen and can step in to stop it,” Foxx said. > > The agency’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to institute the rules for installing such systems in vehicles before the end of the Obama administration, Foxx said. > [@](#): > > The Department of Transportation scheduled an announcement for midday. Transportation officials estimate the technology could prevent up to 80 percent of accidents that don’t involve drunken drivers or mechanical failure. > > A transponder would continually transmit the vehicle’s position, heading, speed and other information 10 times per second in all directions using radio signals similar to Wi-Fi. Cars would receive the same information back from other vehicles. A vehicle’s computer would alert the driver to an impending collision. Some systems could automatically brake to avoid an accident. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/2 "2014-02-03T23:52:26Z")
I suppose it’s just a remarkable coincidence that this technology could also be used to track the movements of every car on the road. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/3 "2014-02-04T00:05:09Z")
It would depend on the range. They wouldn’t be tracked if the signals between cars are just transmitted a few hundred feet. I mentioned using the VIN as a unique ID in the signal. But it could be some other unique ID the manufacturer assigns. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/4 "2014-02-04T00:08:07Z")
Unfortunately, even this technology will not counteract most human stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/5 "2014-02-04T00:38:21Z")
I wondered about driver confusion if the system was beeping too often. This is one of those ideas that seems simple but the implementation will be difficult. I think it could save lives if it’s designed correctly and doesn’t distract the driver. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/6 "2014-02-04T00:46:03Z")
I wonder how it’s going to work with the motorcycles on the road. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/7 "2014-02-04T00:51:06Z")
So are existing cars going to be retrofitted? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/8 "2014-02-04T01:00:33Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Unfortunately, even this technology will not counteract most human stupidity. But it can counteract human intelligence. I don’t want some remote electronic brain making my decisions for me. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/9 "2014-02-04T01:27:19Z")
They’ve been working on this for awhile. I want to read the V2V test report from the Univ Michigan study. It should give a better indication what they are designing. [http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/03/autos-technology-rules-idUSL2N0L814120140203](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/03/autos-technology-rules-idUSL2N0L814120140203) > [@](#): > > The announcement comes as NHTSA finishes its analysis of data gathered during its year-long pilot program of V2V technology in Ann Arbor, Michigan. > > In that program, U.S. officials and the University of Michigan outfitted nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses with wireless devices that tracked other vehicles’ speed and location, and alerted drivers to congestion. > > Those findings, as well as a preliminary estimate of the costs of this technology, will be published in coming weeks. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/10 "2014-02-04T02:24:26Z")
Won’t be installed in my car, that’s for sure, I’m allergic to “nannyware”, besides, it probably won’t function too well with a MANUAL transmission anyway Nope, I’ll concentrate on DRIVING myself, thank you ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/11 "2014-02-04T03:50:43Z")
How will it interact with bicyclists and pedestrians? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/12 "2014-02-04T06:54:15Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > How will it interact with bicyclists and pedestrians? Walking will be obsolete and probably forbidden, and bicycling probably also. [The Pedestrian (PDF)](http://mikejmoran.typepad.com/files/pedestrian-by-bradbury-1.pdf), Ray Bradbury, 1951. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/13 "2014-02-04T15:04:59Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > How will it interact with bicyclists and pedestrians? And asteroids! Will this thing avoid large objects hurtling down from outer space? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/14 "2014-02-04T15:42:00Z")
Great. Drivers will get more lazy and less attentive than they already are. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/15 "2014-02-04T16:40:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It would depend on the range. They wouldn’t be tracked if the signals between cars are just transmitted a few hundred feet. A few hundred feet is more than enough. The trackers to monitor these along roadways would be cheaper than videocams, which already abound in the thousands in some cities. Also, _anyone_ could track someone quite easily with this. Stalkers will love this. Nevermind what the police (or anyone with access to the police database, legally or illegally) could do. “Nanny state” is too nice a term. This is flat out Orwellian. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/16 "2014-02-04T17:04:45Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > A few hundred feet is more than enough. The trackers to monitor these along roadways would be cheaper than videocams, which already abound in the thousands in some cities. > > Also, _anyone_ could track someone quite easily with this. Stalkers will love this. Nevermind what the police (or anyone with access to the police database, legally or illegally) could do. > > “Nanny state” is too nice a term. This is flat out Orwellian. License plate recognition is already a mature technology, and it’s only going to get cheaper and easier to implement. Your vehicle is already emitting self-identifying electromagnetic radiation everywhere it goes in the form of reflected light. It’s only a matter of years before there’s a functioning Arduino-based license plate recognition module on the market that will probably cost a couple hundred bucks. In 10 years, these things will be cheap enough to drop all over a city and track everywhere you go. Your only defense will be removing your license plate Steve Jobs style. Going forward, preventing government abuse of collected data is going to have to be a matter of policy and oversight instead of technology management. There’s just no way around it. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/17 "2014-02-04T17:25:20Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > How will it interact with bicyclists and pedestrians? According to the first linked article, it could be used in conjunction with cell phone signals. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/18 "2014-02-04T17:27:48Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Great. Drivers will get more lazy and less attentive than they already are. Got it in one. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/19 "2014-02-04T17:33:22Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > According to the first linked article, it could be used in conjunction with cell phone signals. I’m wondering what would happen in this hypothetical scenario: I try to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting a pedestrian who steps out (without looking) in front of my car. Let’s say the pedestrian doesn’t have a cell phone. The car senses oncoming traffic and keeps me on the straight and narrow. The pedestrian gets hit and they die. It’d be the pedestrian’s fault in the eyes of insurance, but it would be the system’s fault that my car killed someone instead of causing a nonfatal collision. I think motion detection, like Google is doing, is much preferable to this kind of remote monitoring. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462/20 "2014-02-04T17:48:06Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > But it can counteract human intelligence. I don’t want some remote electronic brain making my decisions for me. So, you get distracted, don’t notice that the car in front of you has stopped suddenly, and you plow into him - but it is okay since no computer made a decision for you. The people stuck in the traffic jam you caused thank you. [QUOTE=enipla] Great. Drivers will get more lazy and less attentive than they already are. [/QUOTE] Cellphones took care of that already. Maybe this technology will keep some moron who is texting from killing someone. Or himself. I’ve gone past enough crashes where one car plowed into another to be all for this technology. It will be a lot cheaper than the radar in the Google cars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dept-transportation-announces-plans-for-new-anti-collision-technology/680462.md?page=2)